ALL I EVER WANTED
by Mccull
Summary: Ruby has been living his for everyone else around him for far too long. When finally the seventeen year old stud snaps, he realizes that life is not worth living unless your living for yourself... Or is it? M for later chapters yaoi and straight relationships Never read a fiction like this before!
1. Chapter 1

All I ever wanted

….

~Ruby~

_Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby!_

That was the sound of my name.

_Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby!_

The sound of thousands of adoring fans with logic shoved so far up their asses they didn't know who I was. They knew my name and that was all.

_Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby!_

I was disgusted. Repulsed. Absolutely one hundred and ten percent done with this shit. The media. The fans. The posers. I was so fed up with society itself I found it hard to breathe.

Tonight was like any other night. With cable TV turned on to watch this channel all over the region of Hoenn. It was people waiting, fans howling, management and paparazzi and rules rules rules that made me want to have a fit. These people don't know who I am… all they know is a name.

"Ruby! Time to go on! Go!" the hands of my mother were shoving me towards the stage entrance. And like the last three months I dug my heels into the freshly waxed wood floor hoping that they would catch and I could hold my own against my mother's strength. I swear she has accumulated more muscle mass hauling a stubborn mule like me around for far too long.

"Stop it! You know you have to go on! Don't fight with me."

"MOM!" I fought back anyways, with the crowds roaring and the music starting on cue. It was my "theme song" though no one in their right minds should ever pair a teenage boy up with the hysterical and much too popular song of Justin Beaver. I felt sick to my stomach every time I had to hear that first chord.

I was not a hopeless romantic, or a lady killer, or anything else they wanted to call me. The only thing I was worried about being was a hot mess, and that's exactly how I felt right about now. Seventeen years old and going against the grain for the first time in my life.

"NO!" I snarled and broke away from the woman that turned me into this. I was tired of pokemon contests. I was tired of pretending to be something I'm not.

"Ruby, get your butt out there now! I'm not fooling around mister! You know what you have to do! So do it!" she jabbed her menacing finger at the doorway that reeked of stage sweat and cologne and piss.

"NO!" I repeated, shaking my head. "I'm not performing anymore! It's not fair!"

"I'm setting your life up for you! Do you want a job? Do you want to have a good life? You need to do this!" She gripped me by the shoulders tightly and glared at me with her dark brown eyes. It was a look I saw rarely growing up, because I had always been such an easy child to handle. But those days were over.

"I want to be happy!" I yanked myself away. "That's the life you want to set up for yourself!" then with a snort I turned and stormed into the nasty doorway. I cast a sidelong glance back, but revealed nothing. My mother couldn't handle it, she hated that I hated my life. And I hated her for not giving me the chance to choose. So I was done. Done with this shit that had been piled on me for so long.

I threw open the door and let it slam against the wall, a squeak beyond the sudden bursting of the crowds. They moved in unison, proud of their hometown idle being the youngest as well as the most popular, well loved handler in the world. None of them knew I wanted to be a trainer… none of them knew that the pokemon I preformed with weren't even my pokemon.

They expected the usual opening act from me, the one where I let out that pathetic excuse of a skitty onto the stage and watch it send a shower of pink glitter onto the crowd. But that's not what I did. No…

Under the harsh blue spot light I raced across stage to the center. There was a secret button that was activated when you kicked it with your feet, and I avoided it profoundly, unlike any other times. The crowd was growing silent, in awe, bright eyed and excited for my new act. Little did they know that I wasn't acting at all. Beaver stopped playing suddenly, and I twisted the dial on the microphone attached to my ear. It screeched to life.

"Ladies and gentlemen." I whispered in a cruel voice, shaking violently. "The show is over."

Gasps of shock grew across the crowds, and lights flickered on and off as my editors and sound producers tried to find an appropriate setting. The lights were still in sink to what the show should have been doing. Silence brought with it the whirring of those lights. They blinded me like usual.

"And why is that my boy?" a judge, the guest judge actually, unfamiliar with me but having heard so much about me, asked with a nervous smile. It was obvious he, like the audience, was trying to understand just what was happening. He leaned forward in his seat, hands folded under his chin and blinked at me with those old baggy clam eyes.

I was breathing heavily, hating everything and everyone.

"Ruby?" A consistent judge, which also happened to be one of my managers tapped his microphone for an answer. I could see him mouthing "what the fuck?" to me as well.

A female judge just shook her head in knowing. She out of all of them amused this would happen one day. It was her that said children didn't belong on stage in the first place. I glared at the two of them as well as the guest judge. They didn't understand. No one would ever understand.

"Ruby." He said again.

"Ruby." The female judge said.

"Ruby!" someone in the crowd whined.

"RUBY!"

Started a roaring of my name across the whole damn concert hall. My nail dug into my palms as I heard my name for the last time. I could go a million years without hearing another person say my name and it would be too soon.

I ripped the microphone from my ear and held it directly up to my lips.

"THE SHOW IS OVER!" I took it and threw it on the ground in front of me as hard as I could. It screamed in distress, making the crowd squeal and flinch in unison. Everyone grew quiet again. The lights finally settled.

No one dared say my name as I turned, without a word, and walking with an echo, calling out to all the fans, that this was it. Ruby was over. Their beloved, their famous, their overrated Ruby was gone, and was never coming back. I walked out the emergency exit door and slammed it with a thud.

A black hallway lead me to the outside world where I had left Flygon waiting. He was in on it, as one of my first pokemon, and knew what I planned on doing from the start. He knew I had left him there waiting so that I could run away and escape, but he didn't know—no one knew until I made the split decision—that I was going to ruin my mother's, my judges, and my manager's lives. Just now, I ruined everything.

And fuck did it feel good to climb up on my dragon and know that this chapter of my life had involved ruining the lives of people I disliked. I was even happier that this chapter was over though. Right now, as I could still here the crowds from inside the concert hall that made me famous, I never felt more alive.

"Let's go." I said to my pokemon before my mother could come running out and try to restrain me. She would lock me up and put chains around me if she could. She didn't care who I was as long as I held the name Ruby. To her that was all that mattered. But I wasn't going to be Ruby anymore.

I was just going to be me.


	2. Chapter 2

~Ruby~

Air was always medication for me. That moment of sweet, succulent relief when you can just take a deep breath and watch the world flash by you. Air was a constant reminder of the things we needed most, and yet that special something that no one seemed to need at all. Air was bliss, and as much as I hated the word bliss, because it just sounded stupid and weird rolling off my tongue, I couldn't think of anything else to describe the way air made me feel.

One week had gone by since my little episode back at the studio. Six days since my mother filed a police report for her son running away, five days since the media went berserk in rage, four days since my manager hired someone else to replace me, three days since the media went berserk over my shitty replacement, two days since I landed here in the middle of nowhere outside a town called Verdanturf, and one day—not even—since I called my girlfriend of only three months.

She was so relieved to hear from me, but I made her swear up and down she wouldn't tell anyone where I was. She was reluctant of course, what with my mother harassing her for answers constantly, but promised feebly anyways. She told me she was coming to meet me tonight… when no one would be looking for her or wondering where she was. She was coming on the back of her Swellow now, sending me flirty texts and making my stomach curl with delight.

I hoped she would be able to find me here, in between the twisted and tall branches of thick oak trees. There were so many of them around here, it was no wonder no one lived here. You simply just couldn't pull together the resources for a large city. The people that lived in that tiny town called Verdanturf lived off of narrow river water and faith. Obviously, since every few and far between sign was about Arceus and other godly figures. Things I never understood.

Not to say that I didn't mind it. I figured everyone should be perfectly capable of believing in what they wanted to believe in. Which included me and my mother. She believed I was going to be somebody by being a famous handler, and even though I knew the path was wrong for me, I had to understand that was her dream as a child. She was trying to live through me… sadly it just wasn't happening.

Guilt had become my best friend in the last week. I knew people had lost millions because of me, I knew fans had lost trust, I knew my mother lost hope…

It wasn't exactly easy knowing that you had disappointed everyone that ever thought something of you. I sighed, drenching myself in that air. There is was again… that relief. Air had also been my best friend in the last week.

And not to mention the new found respect I got from my partners, that were also my friends. The pokemon that claimed for long ago that they would not perform, but stood by me time and time again while I did as I was told. I realized now, that they knew even before I did, that performing was not what I wanted to do. My pokemon had called it quits long ago; in hopes that I wouldn't take the path I did and end in disaster. It hadn't worked of course, I was always set up for disaster, but I knew they were proud of me for standing up for myself.

Biz lay with me now, while I sat on the hood of an abandoned truck staring up at the black night sky. Stars danced and dazzled and shone down on us with a glorious glow. I ran my fingers through the Mightyena's fur and playing with the red collar at her neck.

She rumbled happily, eyes closed, back leg threatening to twitch while I scratched just under her ear.

"Are you going to be good?" I asked her. "Sapphire is coming…"

Her face turned up instantly, and the intense dislike for my girlfriend was obvious in her black eyes. They narrowed and she curled her lip slightly.

"Biz… you have to be good. I will put you back in your ball." I said sternly to her. Love this pokemon to death, but I never understood why she had such a problem with other people. If it wasn't me, it was no one. She was feral when it came to anyone and everyone else. Not to mention battles. Biz held up to her name, which was short for Biznatch, which was basically Bitch, due to the fact that when I first caught her it had been the first word out of my mouth. What can I say? She's got a nasty personality.

And she knew it too. For being as smart as she is, the meaning of the word never upset her. I actually think she quite enjoyed her name being Biz. She was perfectly happy with the title, as obvious as it was.

She snorted softly to me and rolled her eyes. We had this conversation too many times, it was pointless by now. She never listened anyways. However, she knew better than to cross me on a night like this. Her paws scrambled against the old rusty metal of the trucks hood as she stood and nosed at my belt.

A second later the flash of her pokeball went off, and she was sucked back in quickly. She rather be put in her ball than have to behave. I shook my head at the pokemon. So stubborn. It was a miracle I didn't manage to attract any other pokemon with her personality. One was all I could handle.

Now alone in the silence I felt with it the peace. Pokemon were always around me of course, but I respected the fact that I could sit and wait alone, with thoughts creeping up the back of my throat and threatening to come out. I often had to catch myself, because when rare times like this came and I did end up alone, I would start talking to myself. Some of the best conversations I ever had were with myself, which left me to believe the only person that would ever understand me was me.

I also liked the silence because it was so easy to fill. Unlike trying to talk over crowds and other people, especially them trying to get there point across. I knew how ridicules it could make you feel, when you couldn't thrown your two cents in where you wanted. That's why the silence was nice. I could say what I needed to say.

Or in the right moment I would sing. On nights like this, when the acoustics of the oak forest were just too great to pass up, I found myself whispering to the world. And that whisper would escalate until I was belting out the words to some smooth, love me or leave me kind of song that had nothing to do with my life, and yet somehow, it had everything to do with it. I would sing on my emotions, and it had the same effects that an ocean had when you rode on it in a boat. The ocean was your emotions; your music was the waves.

I sang now, thinking about seeing Sapphire again after a week. That girl, though we had slight problems before, knew how to wrap me around her finger. Sure she was slightly controlling, sure she wanted me to know exactly how she felt about the things I did sometimes. Sure she was a mouthful of good and bad and beauty, but I liked her just the same.

We met each other a long while ago, when her father, Professor Birch, decided to give me a pokemon as well as her. We were in competition for a while, considering her passion was contests, and my mother pushed me to be all that I could be as well. I was always a more graceful handler than her, though it may be because the pokemon I preformed with were trained since birth. And because the town I grew up in was the town the concert hall stood. I had the home team advantage, and Sapphire hated that.

However her jealously had driven her to like me. She couldn't stand that for the longest time I was better than her, and I would bet that she was secretly happy I ran away a week ago, so that now she could have her chance to shine. I didn't blame her, I was actually happy for her. She could chase her dream while I chased mine…

Even so… it was hard to imagine our dreams would lead us anywhere else but breaking up. How could she be a handler and I be a trainer? After the reputation I had and the things I did… that life was over for me. I wanted to be a trainer and I wanted to be a traveler. Those two things would lead me far, far away from her path.

She was going to live her life trapped in a city where the world was handed to her on a silver platter… filtered through television and photoshopped to look perfect.

I sighed. Again. For the millionth time this week, and listened to the words coming out of my own mouth.

_Girl you got me going  
Yea I think you know it  
Oh I'm ready for this ride  
So come on take my hand  
Cuz only you, you understand  
How to kick this feeling into—_

"Ruby!"

I jumped, catching my leg on the rusty bumper on the front of the truck. I flinched—though it may have been because of the sound of my name—and whirled to see a windblown beauty coming my way, long hair blown back in the wind. Riding on the sleek feathers of her Swellow was Sapphire, glorious blueish purple tinted eyes glinting in the moons glow. I couldn't help but smile.

"You stupid boy." She huffed, shifting as Swellow swooped down for a landing over the old abandoned truck. Sapphire dropped with pristine skill on the body of the truck and stood looking down at me.

"Has your skirt gotten shorter? Cus' from this view…" I teased, reaching my gloved hands up to wrap them around her waist. She gasped as I yanked her from the top of the vehicle to my level on the hood.

"Oh Ruby. What the hell were you thinking?" she shoved me gently, and then proceeded to wrap her arms around my neck in a tight hug. "Your mother is worried sick. The whole town wants to know what happened."

"They know what happened." I rested my hands around the small of her back. "They know I ran away."

"They don't know why." Her face fell into the curve of my shoulder and neck. She seemed to dilapidate onto me. "Ruby—there it was again, that internal flinch—I don't even understand…"

"I—I just… Had to—

"Had to what?" She broke herself away from me. I blinked in shock, seeing that though her eyes had lined with tears almost instantly. We stood on that car hood, staring at each other, wondering where this had gone wrong—or at least I was.

"Sapphire… I… I don't want to be a handler."

"Don't you think you should have figured that out earlier?" she scrubbed her hands across her face. She hated crying in front of people, this was a rare sight for her. I hated it… I hated seeing her upset.

"Baby." I reached forward to wrap my arms around her. "Why are you really mad?" the Sapphire I knew wouldn't be upset because of my decisions… so there had to be another reason.

"You just don't get it do you?" her eyes narrowed, and though she didn't pull away her hands planted themselves on my chest like a wall between us. "You can't come back now…"

I blinked. "Says who?"

"Are you serious? Ruby you do something like that and run away, you're better off STAYING away… which is exactly why I'm upset!" her chin dropped a tiny bit and I could see her fighting those tears. Why? Why tonight… what did she have to be sad? As if I needed another reason to be guilty.

"Aww… Come on it's not that bad Sapph." I tried to pick her chin up and make her look at me. "I just want to chase my own dream… live my own life. You understand that don't you? And I didn't plan on coming back anyways."

She gritted her teeth together and her lower lip quivered.

"What did I—

"You're so selfish!" she tore herself from me and jumped down from the hood of the car. "You didn't plan on coming back? So you just thought I was going to come find you?" she demanded. "Don't you realize just what it's been like for me? Don't you think I have suffered because you left? Don't you even care that I'm practically alone now!"

I shook my head. "That's not fair. You know I care about you."

"Then maybe you should start acting like it!" she crossed her arms and leaned against the side of the truck. I jumped down and moved to stand in front of her.

Placing my hands on her shoulders I forced her to look me in the eyes. How could see honestly call me selfish? After spending my whole life stooping to the levels of other people just to please them… to make everyone else happy and she called me selfish? I felt miserable at the thought.

"Listen to me." I nearly begged. "Sapphire you don't understand. What if your whole life you had to do what everyone else wanted you to? And you never got a choice in a matter? You would want to leave too… Don't you understand? It's not because I don't want to be with you, it's not because I'm selfish… I just… have to live my own life. For once it's what I want."

She knew as well as me that making your own choices didn't make you selfish. She did that all the time. Her headstrong personality wouldn't let anyone put her down. And yet she still shook her head as if this was my fault. As if she really truly though I was selfish.

"And what is that Ruby?" she spat my name. "What is it exactly that you want?"

"I just want to be me…"

"I don't suppose I'm a part of you then…" she tried to turn away again.

"Why are you doing this to me?" I had to fight to control my anger. She couldn't just let this go could she? She couldn't take the fact that maybe I wouldn't be around as much. She didn't want to think that she would be living her own life without me. And I was honest when I said I didn't want to be without her either, but I wasn't so whipped into this relationship that I would base a decision like this on her alone. I felt like relationships like that were annoying. People needed to stand on their own.

She was fighting tears as she stared up at me, not sure of what to say. She opened her mouth once to speak, but shut it again, shaking her head and not giving me the chance to feel even a little bit better. She tried once more, and it didn't work. The tears slithered down her cheeks and fell with little plops to the floor.

"Ruby…" she breathed my name. Oh how I hated that sound. "It's just not going to work, I can see that!"

God chicks are so dramatic.

"No… no." I shook my head and steadied her. "It can work… with a little effort… I think."

She sniffed.

Sapphire and I were never the type of couple to kiss or even hold hands in public. We weren't easy on each other and we joked around like siblings would, however much I tried to picture myself being gooey and romantic though, it never worked. Sapphire wasn't in it for those kinds of things. She was in it for the glory, the fact that her name could be portrayed with mine in contests, and so she and I could always have that in common. I got the feeling she thought it was OUR thing because of that. Even if it was really only her thing.

Even so, I hated hurting her. Ever since we were little it meant more to see her happy than to be comfortable with myself. And if her being comfortable meant me pushing my own boundary, I would do so.

"Come on… Sapph…" I pushed my hands down to her waist and gripped softly. Leaning in gentle I brushed my nose against the length of her neck, up to her jaw line.

I had never kissed anyone before. Even three months into this relationship and I was still hesitant. Sapphire seemed to stiffen under me as well. She never expected such actions—from me she probably expected words and jokes.

But like a man trying to cheer her up I pulled my face up and flicked my tongue across my lips to wet them. Hopefully it wasn't too much. I didn't want to be classified as a bad kisser. I leaned in skittishly and swallowed, only to be stopped by a sudden, rash and high pitched bark of a noise.

I jumped back in surprise and looked around. Sapphire, leaning in for her kiss with closed eyes, toppled slightly onto her toes and had to grab my shoulder for support.

A fluff of green flashed by and that was all I saw before the ground seemed to wail in pain. The bed of a truck gasped and coughed and made a horrible nails-on-chalk-board sound. I barely saw what happened, or what caused such a noise, before there was a ragged breath, gurgling and snorting like an animal of some sort.

"Ruby!" Sapphire shouted as I bolted from her side to around the back of the abandoned truck. Below where the paint was peeling, on the far left side, just next to the deflated tire, was a boy.

A boy with more blood spurting out his nose than I had ever seen possible before. A boy whose baggy white shirt was now stained with the foul stuff and dirt. A dark mahogany splattered shirt and pants. There were handprints of blood pressed against his throat where he had clutched for air, and as I stared in horror, listening to my girlfriend of only three months wail in anger, his legs stopped bucking and twitched to a stop.

His chest fell, his eyes lolled, his petit mouth fell open to reveal a pale tongue and spit covered teeth. His lips revealed the slime he managed to hack up before it all became too much.

My instincts, which always seemed to work best for me in situations like this, kicking into gear then, and I fell with acceleration of one to one hundred. My hands ripped at the buttons on the thick stained shirt, pulling it back to reveal his flat chest and his clearly visible ribs. Panic stricken and wide eyed I discovered no heartbeat, just my pounding heart.

"Hey!" I was gasping, slapping around the boys bloody face, trying to get a rise out of him.

"Ruby stop it this instance!"

"He's dying!"

"He's dead!" Sapphire wailed.

The hell he wasn't.

I did something then I had never done before, and never thought I would. I rolled up my sleeves, pushed by his head and pried open that tiny mouth. I flinched at the bubbling shit lodged in the back of his throat, but saw it roll down far enough to where I wouldn't have to suck it out myself. With shaky hands I pinched his small nose and leaned over with a humph.

Mouth to mouth resuscitation wasn't what I never thought I would do though. No, I always figured I would get stuck doing it someday, since they made videos and classes about how to do it all the time. No, what I NEVER thought I would do that I did, was rip my hat off my head and throw it down next to me. A reflex reaction, to get the floppy material out of my face while I worked like a machine over the decrepit boy.

One breath… two breaths… was it two or three? I blew one more anyways before pulling back and locking my fingers together.

My heavy hands felt threatening on his frail figure, but I couldn't stop. Break his sternum, it's ok, that's what the classes told you. I wasn't licensed to do this of course, that expired years ago, but I was too frightened to see an innocent person die in front of me—if he wasn't already dead.

I pumped harder, muttering "wake up wake up wake up!" with the movements of my hands. I must have gone past thirty compressions before turning back to his mouth. I didn't flinch this time as my face engulfed his and I blew hard into the lungs of the boy. I could hear them inflate as well as mine collapse with effort. One of ours was going to pop if something didn't happen soon. I was gasping when I let the air flow out, but managed to pull in another mouthful of air to blow into his system. Somehow, I managed one more good thrust.

And then the boy was coughing and sputtering and kicking rapidly again. He wheezed, gripping at his throat and trying to sit up. His pale blue eyes lolled with dizziness, but he never seemed to gape like a magikarp again. His slender fingers clutched the ground, trying to grip anything they could while he hacked up a mouthful of mucus and blood.

He hadn't yet noticed me, panting with effort and shock, until his hands came in contact with my pant leg. He gripped hard for having such little strength, and it was all I could do just to stare. I swallowed the taste of his body fluids and shuddered.

His pale eyes turned up to mine while he gripped my pant leg. All hacking and wheezing aside he fell back to the earth with no strength at all. Eyes half lidded, fingers uncurling his body went limp. For a second I thought he died again, but he blinked and the slight rise and fall of his chest was indication enough for me.

He rasped a weak noise, and to my incredulity it sounded like laughter. His skinny lips turned up ever so slightly at the corners.

"Tha—he broke out into a fit of rasping—Thank—yo—you."

Not a second later his eyes curled backwards beneath his lids and he fell still.


	3. Chapter 3

~Ruby~

To Sapph: _So you just leave?_

To Ruby Love: _Don't you dare talk to me about "just leaving!"_

To Sapph: _What did you expect me to do? Leave that kid there to die?_

To Ruby Love: _No, but you didn't have to give him mouth to mouth! Yuck._

To Sapph: _Hey I'm not saying I enjoyed it, but I saved his life._

To Ruby Love: _This just isn't going to work._

To Sapph: _…._

To Ruby Love: _I'm sorry… But I don't even know where you are right now or anything. I'm never gonna know where you are unless you are home. And I can't have a long distance relationship. I know myself well enough to know it just won't work_

To Sapph: _…_

To Sapph: _ok._

To Ruby Love: _That's it?_

To Sapph: Sure. _If that's what is going to make you happy._

To Ruby Love: _That's all you have to say?_

To Sapph: _Yep_

To RUBY: fine _:T_

To Sapph: _Ttyl_

"She never answered her phone after that message." I grumbled, partially to myself, partially to my jogging partner; a ditzy Breloom at my side. I was rereading the conversation from the day before, when Sapphire broke up with me over text.

"Can you believe that?" I huffed, arms up at my sides like you were supposed to run, so that you wouldn't look like a floppy ragdoll. I was breathing heavily, anger making this that much easier. Sapphire was being such a bitch lately and I didn't know why. It was like she was purposefully taking things personally so she could get upset with me.

"It's like… I get it, your upset that your boyfriend ran away." I sad between breathes. "But you don't have to get all pissy because he saved a strangers life… Right Fever?" I asked at the lest second, so that I could convince myself that I wasn't asking myself these stupid questions, waiting for an answer that would never come.

Fever never minded me talking to myself, she probably spent a fair share of time talking to herself too, but that didn't mean it wasn't embarrassing for me. Had anyone else been around this early in the morning I wouldn't be doing this. But with the trees and the gravel trail the only things listening—other than Fever—I didn't care.

"Breee!" She squealed, bouncing alone step by step with her stumpy little arms locked in against her chest. Pebbles were kicking up behind her hard toes and falling loose behind us. It was like uprooting flowers when she was around. Her clumsy feet and oblivious nature, she never watched where she was going.

"Aww… who needs her." I rolled my eyes, picking up speed and heading down the path towards the river around this tiny town. I had gotten lucky, somehow, even after carrying that kid—whose name I found out to be Wally, which was such a silly name—to the hospital, no one recognized me for who I was. I had to figure either no one in that town had signal for satellite TV, or no one bothered with it anyways. Either way, it felt nice to be average like everyone else for once.

So I decided to stay. At least for the meantime I made the outskirts of Verdanturf my home. I had camped the last two nights, but was itching for a pokemon center room. Thankfully the town had one for me to get tonight. After that I suppose I would see where me feet take me.

I still hadn't called my mother, which was also part of the reason I liked it around here. No signal to call, no way for her to reach me. And how lucky I was that my texting would still go through—my mother didn't know how to text—so I still had a way to communicate if I had to. I was sure though, that if I left around here I would be flooded with calls.

"I will cross that bridge when I get to it." I muttered to myself, making Fever look up at me with an amused expression, obviously delighted with my random comments that made no sense. So long as someone was talking to her, she was happy.

"Broom broom!" She barked lightly and ran on ahead, excited with the sight of water. She loved it for some strange reason, though she was about as good a swimmer as a sandshrew.

"Be careful!" I yelled into the morning too loudly. There was a short moment before I caught up to her. She waited like a mischievous child at the bank for me to be within sight before tiptoeing into the shallow clear water.

She squealed with delight, which made me laugh under my breath. Fever may not be the strongest pokemon I ever raised, but I would take her and her undying devotion to making people happy over any of those snotty, hoity toity show pokemon that didn't know an attack from a sneeze. She was more than friendly, even with the wild pokemon that approached her, she just seemed to light up there day.

A small herd of ladyba had come and gone within the first few moments of being here, before I could even get my shoes off and my feet in the water. They buzzed around my pokemon, leaving behind a trail of pollen that smelt like heaven and honey all mixed together. I knew it was sweet scent, something that could be very dangerous in battle, but as far as I was concerned it was just a perfume to add to the mood.

Poised on a boulder I let my toes touch the cold flowing water. It wasn't more than a foot deep here, but I could see out in the middle area where it might be up to my neck or so. There were smooth stones lacing the shoreline for miles and miles down and back again, with lush forestry and shrubs concealing the life that lived below us. In that water there could be many pokemon, and I was tempted to dive in and see, but my heart told me otherwise.

I just wanted to sit on that boulder and let the sun bake my face and arms slowly. It was morning sun, much too dull to burn anything, but still hot enough to give me a tan. I sighed, twirling around the tips of my toes in the water and thinking about taking a look at my phone once again.

Knowing Sapphire she would have some nasty text to send me soon… saying how horrible I was for not ever talking to her since yesterday. But then again… she had a lot of pride on the line. I wasn't sure whether to expect her to give in or if it would be safer to text her now and get this awkward faze over with. We had been friends our whole lives… there was no reason why this separation… just because I wanted to travel and train, should affect that.

"What do you think Fever?" I whispered to my pokemon, who was slurping loudly at the water. She lifted her head and shook away the remaining drops before hearing me.

"Huuueeerr?" she cocked her head to the side and blinked.

"Should I text Sapphire?" I sighed.

The Breloom just went back to drinking from the river. I always got the feeling that Fever had short term memory loss. Sometimes she acted like it, and it wouldn't surprise me at all. The way she didn't give up when she wanted something, or the pretentious way she presented herself to the people she saw on a regular basis. It was hard to imagine she remember half the faces she ever met, so maybe now when I asked, the name didn't ring a bell. That could be why she ignored me.

"Yeah thanks." I perched my lips and rolled my eyes. There was a moment of silence inside my head before I pulled the damn thing out of my pocket and got to my messages. Sapphire was a handful, but she wasn't in any way a bad person. Sure she could be bitchy and snide and act like she was better than everyone else—and in some way she was—but there was a side to her that I knew was extremely sweet and kind. If she would just choose to show that side more often, things would be easier all around.

I glared at the empty message for a long second before flipped open the screen and typing on the keyboard.

To Sapph: _Hey_

I set the phone down on the rock next to me and leaned back, settling on my elbows and looking up at the pale blue sky, dotted with white fluff ball clouds. It was early, so I thought maybe she would be asleep still, but at the very least I wasn't expecting a response at all. So I was shocked when my phone vibrated to life not a moment later.

To Asshole that ruined everything: _Oh so your texting me now?_

I sighed. How do you respond to that kind of statement?

To Sapph: _You broke up with me you know…_

To Asshole that ruined everything: _That doesn't give you the right to text me. Why did you anyways?_

I sighed again, debating on whether to smash my phone against the boulder I sat on or throw it in the river.

To Sapph: _I thought maybe we were still friends…_

To Asshole that ruined everything: _No, you're an asshole._

To Sapph: _Alright fine. Text me when you're done being a bitch._

I glared at the phone now, turning it over and holding down the off button before she could text back. Why couldn't girls ever just be friends? Even if this was my fault… she of all people should know me better than that. She should know that I will always want to be there for her, boyfriend or not. So why was she being such a pain about it?

"Loom! Breeloo!" a sudden, high pitched shocking noise made me jump.

"Fever!" My eyes darted back and forth, seeing as though in the mix of all this texting I lost sight of my erratic pokemon.

"Fever!" I yelled louder, jumping up from the boulder I sat on an abandoning my phone.

"Brooeeelll!" the nose grew further.

"Shit." I hissed and started charging down the banks of the river. Somewhere from just beyond the bending and the twisting of the trees stretching out across the water I could see a shape bobbing up and down. It was lashing about in shock, arms too short to help and legs too clumsy to be of any use.

"Fever! Hold on!" I yelled after her, ignoring the jolts of pain in the bottom of my feet as I stepped through twigs and thorns and Arceus knows what else. I could feel with every step my feet sinking into thicker mud, and the gap between the shore and the river grew skinnier and softer.

I was nearly bounding from ground to ground as the river gushes and lapped at my feet, getting stronger and faster with every movement.

"Fever!" I gasped, seeing as though the river had sucked her under and spat her back up again. Just a little further and I could jump for her. I was a strong swimmer, even against the current I didn't down myself.

The eyes of my pokemon were blocked away by water while her front came up and her back sank down. The end of her tail floated like a fishing bobber but it seemed as though the rest of her has gained a hundred pounds with the water. Her mouth was gaping, choking, revealing the pooling water to be too much for her.

"HOLD ON!" I begged, preparing to leap from the shore into the river to save her. No way was I going to lose my pokemon. Not like this. Not ever.

And just when I thought I was in the right spot, the ground slipped out from under my feet, and I went tumbling into the water with a wail. I was flipped up and over my head and tossed back and forth like a ragdoll. The only indication of which way was up were the bubbles floating past my face, but even so I couldn't see more than fuzzy pictures in that pollen filled, moss colored water. Infuriated and horrified I kicked, letting my bare feet scramble against the rocks until I realized that I was inches from the surface.

My head broke then, and I whirled in a fit of coughing and cavernous gapsing. My eyes were foggy with water and my hat had slumped down further than it ever should have. Weighed with water to my head I was fighting the material just as much as I was fighting not to lose the thing in the current.

"Breloom!" I yelled. "FEVER!" Though all sight of her had been lost when I went under. I was a horrible trainer! How could I let this happen! All because of some stupid text messages, I hadn't been watching my pokemon. All because of Sapphire, because of me, because of my controlling mother.

From somewhere beneath the murky water I was struck, not by the force of something coming at me, but with the force of my own body against it. The river was fastest here, sucking and pushing and swallowing as I fought to keep my head above the surface. Mini rapids tore at my clothes and swished me around like someone would mouthwash.

And whatever struck me when I was pulled under again, hit hard enough to knock the wind out of me and send me gasping for air. Water lodged itself in my throat, making me sure I would drowned sooner or later. A fit of coughing UNDER the water seemed to pull me up again, with more water up my nose than ever before. It burned like no one's business.

My eyes stretched far and wide though seeing nothing beyond the murky waters that were dragging me further along. My body was starting to numb with the chill of the river as well, so each time I thought my feet may have touched the bottom; I knew I couldn't be sure. It was hard enough to feel anything with my hands while you were going a million fucking miles per hour down a river, let alone trying to grasp anything.

A solemn breath of air touched the back of my throat through my hacking and I managed to find strength in my legs. Something quite strong enough to project me over to the bank and send me in a fight against the rocks and boulders around her. Smooth with nothing to grab onto while I wanted to grab onto it so bad. Moss made everything slimy and that damn hat on my head slipped over my eyes once again, as if it was playing a nasty trick on me.

Blinded and winded I felt something—anything—finally touch my hand. And with as much concentration as I had I managed to grip the slender but hard bark of a log that somehow was in the right place at the right time. It cut open the palms of my hands, but I didn't care, for it was still rough enough to clamber onto and use as a base. Shaking and panting I hauled myself forward, kicking out with what little strength I had in order to pull myself forward to the bank.

Springy grass felt like heaven under my fingers as I finally reached the side. It took every bit of will power to lob myself up, but I did it and I was damn happy. Miles down the river from where I started and no Fever in sight, I was still shocked that I lived through that. The raging waters looked so calm from the shore…

"Errr…" I groaned, trying to bring myself to my feet once again. I had to find Fever… I had to. That pokemon couldn't swim for her life, and though water wasn't fatal to a grass type like herself, that didn't mean she wasn't capable of drowning. I flinched at the thought and used it as motivation to get up and get moving.

"Fe-Fev—Fever!" My teeth chattered as I ran sluggishly along the now rocky shore line. It was harder on my feet, but safer. At least this way I knew I wouldn't fall in. Where did she go? The river was wider here and shallow… could she have washed past this part already? How long was I in there anyways?

"Fever!" I rasped. Here my voice… here it and respond to me so I know you're alive… But horror was building in my chest like the water did around the bank. It threatened to flood over and make me drown with grief.

"Fever…" a rush of water gurgled up out of my mouth and made me flinch. My stomach curled with an unpleasant twist and made me gag. Too much river water… too many cuts. I was leaving blood behind me while I stumbled along.

"Over—here!"

MY head swam with lightheadedness and I was sure that was my own mind talking to me—maybe even me talking to myself. The voice was foreign though, stronger than my half-drowned rasp could have ever sounded. The forest was just a wall of fuzzy green around me while I turned to face the voice, down the bank, further, further through the mass of splotches and waterlogged figures.

"Fever." I grunted, squinting to see as I approached a wide open patch of light green grass. It was up to my knees and ticklish while I floundered through it to the voice.

"Ruby—

My name? For the first time in what felt like forever, I didn't flinch when I heard that name…

"Is this your Breloom?"

I stumbled to my knees beside the fuzzy figures and reached out in sweet relief. "Fever." I whispered and wrapped my arms around the limp exhausted pokemon. "I—I'm so sorry Fever." I muttered, turning my eyes over to her rescuer.

The fuzziness in my eyes passed almost as soon as it had come, and though the face I looked at still spun, I could make out the same large pale blue eyes and small nose and lips that I had seen only two days before.

"Thank you." I sighed, completely shocked, but too grateful to let it be a problem. I held my pokemon's face in my hands lightly while she made a soft irritated gurgling noise. My eyes searched the pale blue ones for an answer, but I only found panic there.

"Wally?" I said the name out loud for the first time. I knew who he was, but I didn't know him, and yet he was looking at me as if he had known me his whole life.

"Ruby." He coughed and turned his head away, taking a long hard deep breath and bringing the back of his hand up to collect the drip of thick blood from his nose. "I—I want to—he sniffed back up, unfazed as he could be.

"Thank- I hiccupped, my stomach upset and growling.

"You—we spoke at the same time, saying the same thing in the most different kind of ways possible. He looked away then, hiding his face from me and shuddering out another shaky breath. I heard a faint gasp as he tried to steady himself. Blood dripped past his face into the grass for a second before his brought his hand up and cupped it over his mouth and nose. He looked back at me, sad amusement clogging his eyes.

"You're welcome." Was all he said. And I couldn't, not for the life of me, understand.

He laughed.


	4. Chapter 4

~Wally~

"No offense…. But I have to ask." Ruby, in all his humbleness, pointed to my face and cocked his head to the side. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

I was fighting back laughter, because there was no hostility in his voice at all. Just a pained annoyance, but that wasn't even directed at me. He was obviously upset with the world at the moment, and yet the blatant sarcasm didn't bother me in the slightest. With as many cuts and bruises he had, and as waterlogged he looked, I didn't blame him

"I just have a lot of illnesses." I said, unashamed. The days in which I tried to hide past my problems were long gone. I learned the hard way that it was easier to accept yourself and hope others would too, than to always try and be something you're not.

"Nose bleeds?" he readjusted that sopping wet hat on his head, that looked more like an old sack he pulled out of the sewer rather than a fashion statement. I didn't understand it, but then again, I had never understood those kinds of nuisance items. Like the rest of him as well, I found myself wondering if his sleek black pants with the bulbous pockets had a reason. Obviously he didn't need the extra pockets, or the single misplaced chain dangling from his belt. The way his collar sat up bothered me too. He just screamed uncomfortable.

"Chronic." I nodded, stuffing my hands into my pockets and stepping quickly a pace behind him. Despite him being unfamiliar with the forest and sopping wet, he still managed to stay ahead of me, worried about his Breloom, which was oddly named Fever. I hadn't asked him about that because it seemed embarrassing, but wouldn't that be a name fit for a fire type? Not a grass type. I was beginning to think there was just nothing about him I would understand.

"Alright… then what about the other night?" He turned his sharp burgundy eyes on me, a flash of something else I couldn't quite pinpoint.

"I—I have asthma… not usually that bad… but… bad." I admitted, though he was casting long skeptical glances at me, as if I would drop dead at any given moment. I didn't know whether to be reassured and comforted, or even more worried. He saved my life once, but would be really do it again? Strangely I felt safe.

"Yeah…" he was hurrying along, stumbling up to a large boulder miles up the bank from where we started our agonizingly long silence. It was just now that I had gotten him to start talking, despite him being nice about it; I could tell he wasn't in the mood. And who would be? After being half drowned and pummeled by rocks and logs.

I was surprised when he stopped at the boulder and reached on the top of it, snatching a sun baked cell phone and flipping it open. He cursed as the black plastic burned his fingers and that it was turned off. I could only stare, wondering what was suddenly so vital. He leaned his chest against the boulder and waited impatiently for the screen to light up.

I stared in awe, for what felt like only a second, but realized just what I was looking at. Sharp features, a tight jaw line, burgundy eyes. He was broad, though not exactly tall, nearly waterlogged, and looking second next to the nature itself. It was like a painting, something I couldn't quite describe even though it was right in front of me. I noticed only too obviously the slight bulge of his biceps, and the clearly visible veins in his strong forearms.

I shuffled awkwardly, scuffing one ankle with my shoe and gripping my hands behind my back. My eyes settled on the ground in front of me and it was harder than I thought to just stand there waiting. I wanted to know what he was texting so angrily, or more so who. Or even just what made me want to look up again anyways.

"Ridiculous." He muttered out loud, reminding me that for some strange reason he did that. It was as if his emotions where too hard to conceal beneath his voice. He talked to himself. And weird as it was, I kind of like it. At least that way I knew he was speaking his mind. Something I could appreciate in a person.

"Wha—whats wrong?" I murmured when he let the phone fall in his hand limply. He obviously didn't want to stick it in his wet pockets.

"Nothing." He just shook his head and walked past me, heading for the trail that lead to an open road just outside of my town. He stopped a little ways off to grab a pair of what could have been ancient sneakers left by the river ages ago. He bent over and pulled out a pair of short black socks from the inside, before slipping both on one foot before moving onto the next. I wondered briefly who tied their shoes like that. Sock, sock, shoe, shoe; not sock, shoe, sock, shoe.

"I thought you wanted to go to town?" I asked in confusion, forgetting the unnecessary details about this boy. Following the river was more practical that way, since upstream it lead you right to civilization. Not to mention the ground up the trail was steep and rocky and I really didn't feel like playing catch up with Ruby. Surely I would be a pace behind… the strain hurt my throat already. I couldn't have another attack, not with him, not again.

"I'm getting a room in town… so I have to get my stuff now." He was fighting anger towards me, which was appreciated, but stung just the same. I was almost positive Ruby didn't have anything against me, but it was so hard to tell when someone was in a bad mood to begin with.

"Oh… ok." I swallowed and turned to fallow him. Rocky gravel paths that would threaten to twist your ankle and trip you… Oh Arceus… I wrapped myself up in determination as best I could before fallowing along. If he could do it with soaking wet clothes that were probably chaffing against his skin and irritating, I was pretty sure I could do it. I had walked that trail before, and I knew it well, it just the fact that now I had someone to put pressure on me now that scared me.

Take my time and embarrass myself by saying I didn't want to get winded, which would surely make him angry. Or I could push myself to keep pace with him and hope that nothing happened.

"You don't have to follow me." Ruby glanced back at my worried expression. I couldn't tell if he was trying to be nice or get rid of me. "Really, thank you for saving my pokemon… but I'm fine from here."

I looked back up the path and felt my eyes droop in depression. It wasn't me protecting him, I knew he would be fine, he pulled himself out of a river after nearly drowning—he was perfectly capable of handling himself—I knew that. But that didn't change the fact that I didn't want to go back alone. Hurt clung to my heart in such a way that I couldn't help but bit my lip to stop from frowning.

"Oh… Ok…" I whispered and turned to leave. Obviously he didn't care for the company. Maybe he really was just like everyone else from the big cities… Maybe he wasn't as nice as what I thought he was. Just like everyone else unfamiliar around here, he may have a hard time adjusting to people like me. I tried to pick out a good and strong rational reason for why he would have something against me.

Which was ridiculous. It wasn't my fault I nearly died in front of him. Gracious as I was for him saving my life a couple nights ago, I couldn't understand how that would make him upset with me now. Especially after pulling his Breloom from the river. If I would have fallen in there was no way I would have the strength to fight the current. I risked my life for his pokemon because I was a good person—I hadn't known it was his, though that certainly made it more enjoyable—and I wasn't mad now.

Are you mad at me Ruby? I asked myself silently. You can't be mad at me… I haven't done anything wrong… And he wasn't mad at me before, just after I saved the Breloom. He was thrilled that she was ok and thanking me with no end. But as we started walking and he got closer and closer to this trail he grew more frustrated it seemed. Then his cell phone seemed to really piss him off. I wondered what his messages had said…

"Maybe I will see you around." Ruby added when he turned and started rushing up the trail. It wasn't heartfelt, and I got the feeling he only said it because he didn't want me to be upset. I sighed, staring after him and shoving my hands into my pockets, fighting back the disappointment. He had only just met me… of course he must be thinking it would be weird to be friends so soon.

But I wanted to be his friend… I guess that's what I wanted. My mind stretched back to the way he sang the other night, when his spirits had been so high and his orchestra was nature and nature alone. Where was that Ruby? That was the one I wanted to get to know.

I stood uncomfortably on the beginning of the trail, listening to the river gurgling behind me and waiting until he was up over the ridge and onto the main dirt road where I couldn't see him. The wind pushed my hair back and forth with fluid strokes, but it wasn't a bother. I just drank in the air and let it pile up in my lungs painfully. From somewhere inside me I could feel a familiar itch that needed to be scratched. Something that felt like what my inhaler could only fill when I needed oxygen. Only this wasn't me needing oxygen, not this time at least.

A dreadful tightening grew in my chest.

But it was not because of any illness I could put a name too.


	5. Chapter 5

Hotel room at four in the morning, lying away, talking to myself, wishing someone would hear me and make it that much better. I wished there was someone that I could tell all my secrets to, someone that could understand the irrational babble that went on constantly in my head, saying things like "Why?" and "There is no way that happens." And "Tell me more."

I was begging myself, listening to the walls give me an empty answer while I stared at the ceiling. Everyone now and again a line from a song would slip from between my lips, and I found myself relating it to my life in some way or another. Like "I can't believe that it's over." And "all I ever wanted" fallowed up by a quick "I'll set fire to the rain."

God I was so pathetic. Even moves like Jagger seemed to replay itself in my brain, and that was one of the ridicules songs they used to play during one of my acts. Back in the big city I ran away from, I knew that music was still playing. Somehow, who was to say that the world hadn't warmed up to my replacement yet?

"It's just a feeling… just a feeling, just a feeling that I have… Just a feeling, just a feeling that I have." I whispered to myself in a monochrome voice. One voice, never changing from song to song, but dragging on the depression through each word.

_I'm still lying in the dark  
No sunshine  
No sunshine.  
No sunshine.  
She cries  
This is more than goodbye~_

I wasn't sure how long I could take this kind of abuse. Sapphire refused to answer my calls, even after I sent her a text explaining that I fell in a river today and nearly drowned. That was the reason why I couldn't make up with her at that particular moment in time when she wanted to kiss and make up. I gripped my phone in my left hand, which was stretched out as far as it could go, pulling on the charger while it clung to the wall for dear life.

Sapphire, no matter how much I explained to her, didn't believe me that I really almost drowned today. She claimed my non-existent response to her simple "I'm sorry… Ruby I want to make it work." Was because I really didn't care about her. Had she sent that damn text twenty minutes later I could have responded quickly and convinced her that I wanted that too.

More than anything…

Sapphire was my best friend, not just my girlfriend. And breaking up with your best friend was much harder to do. She was the person that held my hand when I got stage fright for the first time at only ten years old. She was the one that made me popcorn on rainy days, and then ended up throwing it at me because it was more fun than eating it. She was the one that told me she would always understand…

And she was the one that broke up with me…

Moisture was threatening my eyes for the longest time now, but I couldn't tell if it was honest sincerity, or the fact that I was trying to focus blackness without success. Either way I had to flip over onto my stomach and make sure that I still had some of my sanity. I buried my face into the pillow and groaned, still clutching the phone, wishing it would vibrate in my hand to reveal a text saying that she still loved me.

With a heavy heart I snapped the phone from the charger and brought it up to my face. Four in the morning, she wouldn't be awake… so this was the safest time to call.

Too bad there was just barely any signal here. Blocked by the pokecenter walls, blocked by the mountains and trees, I knew that getting a decent phone call in would be extremely difficult. And it seemed every time I lost the nerve to do so was when the signal magically reappeared.

But I had to do this… even if there wasn't much time left at all. Even if Sapphire hated me and there was no hope of her loving me again. I had to get up and force myself to the window and hope I could stretch my arm out far enough to get the last bar needed in order to make a call…

Even if it meant going home… or wherever the city was, since it surely didn't feel like home. I couldn't stay in this tiny town forever… at some point I had to leave and face the rest of the world anyways. My fans would eventually catch up to me whether I liked it or not.

And besides… maybe if I went home and cleared the air things wouldn't seem so bad. I would still refuse to do any more contests or shows, but I could at least smooth things out a bit with my mother. Or it could go horribly wrong and she might disown me—if she hadn't already. Either way I had to do something. And something started with going back…

Jumping to my feet and stretching with a grunt I went to the open window. The room itself was stuffy and hot, but outside felt amazing. Between the black, starlit sky and the cool breeze it was hard to believe that thing could exist in the world I came from. Neon, loud music and people, cameras upon cameras upon tourists, yes indeed that was the world I left… for this…

I sighed. What was it about the mountains? The wilderness and the constant worry of what might suck you in and make you its next victim—whether that be a river or a pokemon—it was thrilling. It was the polar opposite of my safe, coherent city background, and I wasn't sure if I liked it yet or not, but I surely felt something for it.

Not enough to keep me here when Sapphire hated my guts… but it was immense and only growing.

I leaned out the open window, holding myself steady with my hard stomach against the sill and my hands gripping the cell phone I so desperately needed to get signal with. Two bars was barely anything at all, but I figured it was worth a shot. From where my hands were stretched out I couldn't hear anything, but I dialed the number religiously like I had plenty of times before.

It rang twice—no longer the peppy elevator music but a harsh, battling ring—and then hung up. I had just enough time to hit speaker and here the tone.

"Sapphire… I know we need to talk… We can talk through this. We always do… I believe in us." I said loudly because I was nervous. The silent world outside the pokemon center seemed to echo back to me. I didn't feel alone… for once I felt like I was being watched actually. I shook my head.

"Sapph… I'm coming home…soon."

I had never told Sapphire I loved her in more than a friendly way, but I was tempted to now. Because I knew she was such a hopeless romantic on the inside that it would get her all twisted up and confused and probably spill her guts out to me. I could force her to let me in by telling her the words, but it seemed wrong. I don't care who you are, you don't say "I love you" unless you mean it or it is perfectly clear that you are joking.

So I hung up after that awful silence, and left her hanging onto a short intake of a breath. Knowing her she would notice it too, and point it out later down the road when it benefited her most. I could have quite possibly dug myself into a deeper hole, but I didn't care. I knew now I had to face the simple fact that somehow someway I would be going back. I swore I wouldn't go back and now I didn't have a choice. I had been gone for two whole weeks and by the time I found out where I was going, I'm sure it will have gone up to three.

With a sigh I went limp against the windowsill, dangling my arms out over the ledge so that they touched the tops of the bushes that needed to be trimmed and never would. It was such a reflex reaction too, that I didn't even realize it when I let my phone drop—like if it was on a bed or something relatively soft—and it went tumbling down into the dirt between a thick layer of branches and leaves.

"Urrrggggghhhaaahh." I groaned and hung my head. "Seriously?"

It really wasn't that big of a pain, all I had to do was pick and choose my path downwards until my foot found the floor and I could reach down and grab it. Climbing out windows was a game for me—one I didn't always want to play—but a game none the less. Like hoping walls and hiding in the back alleys of the city where no one would find me and Sapphire causing trouble. What a game, what a game.

I sighed and threw my leg over the ledge. At least coming back in through the window would be easier.

"You're leaving?"

A piteous gasp of fear struck up through my chest and sent me overboard in a whir. My hand slipped off the windowsill and my foot sunk into the soft earth where the bushes planted their roots. I twisted, turned, almost caught myself, turned again, and then made the mistake of trying to use the bush itself for support. I fell right through it, and felt numerous twigs and branches stabbing me.

"What the hell!" I looked upwards, fighting with the bush and trying to find a way to stand. I couldn't even see anyone around here, and yet that familiar, slightly annoying voice had been right there.

"Here.. le—let me help you." A single and came through the bush that managed to stay above me and stretched down in offering. I shoved it away quickly and forced myself to stand on my own.

"What the fuck Wally! What are you doing here?" heat poured into my face like lava and I was glad it was too dark to see. I could barely make out his pale skin, and it reflected the moonlight as if he were made of glass. His naturally pale eyes looked silver as well, flickering. It was a side of him that I had never seen before. Moonlight Wally was a little creepy compared to sunlight Wally.

Finally I managed to steady myself—phone in hand—and glare.

"I—I was walking around. And I heard you." He explained, scuffling back onto the cobblestone road that lead outside of the pokecenter rooms.

"What are you some kind of stalker?" I started picking pieces of leaves out of my hair and hat.

"No!" he insisted. "But… But I was hoping maybe… if you're leaving, if… maybe I could come with you?"

There was a part of me that hadn't been paying much attention to Wally every since earlier today. When he talked, I barely listened, and then answered as best I could so that he wouldn't get up upset. With all the problems this kid had I figured he must be sensitive, I didn't want to trigger anything.

"Why?" I asked in a sharp tone. Nice as I was trying to be, I just couldn't imagine someone like him slowing me down along the way. I had to get home as soon as possible.

"I… I want to get out of this town. I want to see the world. And I can't—I don't want to—It's not easy when you— He ran a hand through his hair, flustered and trying to find the right words. "Ruby, I don't want to be trapped here my whole life. I need to escape."

I wasn't sure why Wally thought I was the right person to go to for this, but in some odd sense I felt like he had indeed gone to the right person. The fact that those words had come out of his mouth at this point in time… after me running away and making my great escape. Who would have thought? Two completely different people in the world would somehow find each other because they had the same dream.

I wanted to escape the city; I wanted to see the world touched by nature and all its glory. I wanted to raise pokemon and become a trainer and just… breathe. Not in the literal sense of course, I had always been perfectly capable of breathing, but you know what I mean. I wanted that sweet breath of fresh air that only the wilderness could give you.

And here was Wally, pinned, trapped down by the small town air. He DID have problems breathing, and all he seemed to want to do was get away from it. His heart was bigger than his destiny—which should have been to stay here and stay safe his whole life. And as I stared into those pale blue eyes I couldn't imagine we were any different. It was like somehow he was living the opposite life as me, and making more use out of it than I ever could, yet it wasn't what he wanted. And I had it all… everything I could ever dream for, except freedom, which he had here.

Wally didn't even know that I had run away from home, he didn't know that I was "going back" just to talk and clear the air. Wally had no clue that I was even facing the same dilemma as he was now, and yet he knew that I could help him. Sly son of a bitch… How did he figure that out?

"Please… I have pokemon… they can protect me." He was nearly begging now.

I shook my head. "I don't think you understand… Wally, I have to go back to my home, but I'm not staying there. I—I have…" I sighed. "It's a long story…"

"Tell me on the way." He tried to smile, but it didn't sit right over his teeth—which were slightly too large for his mouth and spaced by a tiny gap.

"You have pokemon?" I asked curiously.

He nodded.

"Alright fine." I made up my mind.

"Really?"

"We battle…" I said. His face dropped a tiny bit. "One on one, if I win then you find your own way out of here—hey I had to do it—but if you win… You can come with me." This was more than just a battle. I wanted to see how good he was at raising pokemon. Someone so sickly would surely be easy to beat—even if I wasn't the best trainer in the world. I didn't want to admit that I was hoping this would be an easy way to get rid of him, but rather… an easy way for him to test his own skill. Maybe if he got beaten by a trainer like me he wouldn't want to come.

I could tell that he was thinking carefully about this, trying to decide just how good his chances were. But what option did he have? It was a hit or miss and he would be stupid to give up now. That alone would be enough to prove he wasn't worthy of a journey away from home. I waited impatiently, eyes narrowing until he took a deep breath. It trembled a little.

"Deal." He nodded and stuck his hand out to me. This was not the gentle offering for help, this was a jabbing, rigid determination. "When do we start?"

I reached out and gripped his hand firmly, feeling how much more slender his fingers were than mine. It actually almost made me feel fat. I grinned an evil grin at him, adrenalin surfacing from deep within me. My mind seemed to pivot from anything and everything that had to do with my life outside of this moment. I was too excited to battle now—I hadn't had one in a long time. Even Sapphire seemed to slip away from my mind.

There was just me and him and two pokemon. His eyes flashed in worry for a split second but he hid it well. I released his hand with a snort.

"We start now."

….

~Wally~

Such a stalker… I'm such a stalker!

Invading on other people's privacy was never a habit for me, but suddenly it felt like I had been doing it my whole life. After Ruby left me by the river today, I had decided that I needed to figure out why he had such a problem with me. There was obviously something on his mind that was making me a nuisance, and I was determined to figure it out.

So I waited down on main street for as long as I could, allowing my cheeks and nose to burn in the harsh sunlight of this mid July weather. It wasn't exactly hot, but humid enough to make you sweat and strong enough to make you burn. We normally had great weather here, but for some reason this season it was off. Even that seemed to be beckoning me away from here. It was like the nice weather was leaving and calling me to follow it. And oh how I wanted to.

Ruby had appeared in town a little while later, going to the pokemon center which I realized was to pick up his Breloom, so I missed him the first time. He then disappeared for the night, though it was still light out, and retreated to one of the six rooms they had available for visitors. I waiting, again, thinking that I could quite possibly go and find him and talk to him if I really wanted to. Six doors to knock on wasn't a lot, but there was no guarantee he would even answer for me.

I had surprisingly actually though about challenging him to a battle before, just to see if I could get a rise out of him. Trainers loved battles right? I figured someone like him from the city must not get the chance as often as the trainers around wide open spaces like here.

What in the end stopped me from challenging him, was the fact that with his Breloom nearly drowning today I couldn't imagine he would be all that ready to fight, especially if he only had her to fight with. Now I didn't know this for sure—he could have a whole team of six for all I knew—but it just didn't feel right.

So I decided to stalk him. Going against everything I ever felt was right and moral about people's personal space, I broke it. Part of me really hoped I wouldn't find him, but it just ended up being too easy. He left the window open—don't blame him, there was no air conditioning in those pokecenter rooms—and he was talking to himself as if someone was there.

Maybe he had an imaginary friend? Maybe he was slightly crazy? Or too lonely for his own good? There was always the chance that he had a pokemon out with him, but no other voice had been spoken but his so it wasn't likely. I ended up sitting between the large bushes under the window listening to his irresistible chatter.

At some point I had fallen asleep listening to him, but was awoken when a familiar angel voice seemed to call out to me. Yes indeed I thought I had died—which was always an option with me—and someone was coming down from the heavens to pluck me off this earth. It was just that song… that lovely voice and those tender lyrics he sang with all his heart. It reflected sadness, but was initially happy. I absolutely adored the sound, which startled me more than it should have.

"Sing some more." I had begged when his voice cut off into another garbled mess of words he spoke to the silence. It wasn't long after this that he got up and made his way over to the window.

I would have sworn he heard me, somehow no matter how silent I was being, I just knew he found out I was there. I shuffled away and knelt between the branches of a bush while he approached, leaned, and held his phone out into the night, muttering about needing bars.

He hadn't seen me… and I was so relieved for such a short amount of time, all until I heard him leaving a message on his phone. He was… leaving? Well I knew I had to act now. For some reason the idea of losing this very important stranger made my stomach curl, and I found myself strung up on the idea of leaving as well. I wanted to get out of here for a while now…

That was it. That was my chance. I convinced myself that Ruby was my personal saint, sent to me by some unrealistic force that wanted to get me out of this town. Was it fate? Or was it just me and my glass-half-full attitude? Either way I presented myself to him hopefully and terribly embarrassed.

He was angry, that was for sure, and I certainly wasn't expecting him to agree after demanding what I was doing stalking him. He must have thought I was the biggest creep on the planet—and I couldn't blame him. God forbid a nurse walks in on me without knocking, and all hell breaks loose; Ruby had every right to be mad. I had never felt so pathetic in my life, but never before so exited either.

He was giving me a chance? That challenge, a one on one battle… My heart was already racing.

I was a good trainer, and it was most certainly NOT the battle that was worrying me. What worried me, was the fact that Ruby seemed to be so determined to get rid of me. I didn't like it. I wanted to prove him wrong.

As we walked the silent path into the trees shrouded in blackness we found ourselves—or at least I did—breathing heavily. It must be a nervous reaction for your chest to tighten… something I never felt before I met Ruby. Because I had never been so nervous before.

I glanced at him now, holding a pokeball so tightly in his hand I thought for sure his knuckles would pop.

What is wrong Ruby? I wanted to beg him—the stranger—to tell me. I wanted to know why he was here, where he was going, and how come it was so horrible for me to go with him. I didn't have anywhere specific I wanted to go… I would just be a tag along. With all the talking to himself he does, you would think he would enjoy some real company for once.

"Is this far enough?" His voice finally came, sharp like his features, cutting me as if it was a knife. I flinched and glanced back at the town. Sure it was far enough away… but I was thinking about the walk back to town after our battle. The further out we went the longer we would have time to talk afterwards. And if I lost… then I would need that time to convince him it was worth it to let me come along with him anyways.

"I—I guess." I took a shaky breath. "I'll start over here."

Perhaps one of the longest walks I had ever taken was right then and there, while I could feel Ruby's eyes boring into my back with prickling irritation.

What pokemon was he going to use? His Breloom? I highly doubted it. I hoped he would throw his ball first so that I could have a second of preparation before making a decision myself. It would be a cheap shot to pick a pokemon that was obviously a stronger match against his—kind of a rookie move—but if it got me on his journey I would do it.

Kecleon was a good match… that pokemon could hide from nearly anything, and especially in the dark it would never be seen. But I got the feeling that if I sent him out he would end up causing more trouble than it was worth. More often than not I lost track of the pokemon and didn't know when to call out attacks as well. It was a flaw and an advantage.

Gardevior was faithful and loyal and would try her best without question. She had great attack and good tactics, but a lot of weaknesses as well. I had to wait and see on her. She was a pokemon to use when she was the advantage and the advantage only.

"One on one!" Ruby called from across the large empty meadow, lined by oak trees and filled with tall grass. I flinched at the echo he left.

"Right." I said quietly to myself. You start… I wanted to beg him, but it was obvious he was waiting for me.

I closed my eyes shut tight and took a deep breath. Not Gardevior, not Kecleon, Mawile wasn't trained nearly enough. My Beautifly was agile and powerful, but the idea of sending out… such a pretty little pokemon. I didn't want to judge him by his looks—he had a personality it counteract them—but it was hard sometimes. All that left me with was Azumarill—who was too goofy and silly to fight properly—and Salemence…

Oh Salamence… how you have won me so many battles. I gripped the dragon pokemon's ball with a weak hand and brought it up to my chest. Don't fail me now… please.

Salamence was always a little bit nerve racking. He didn't take no for an answer, and could snap every bone in my body with just the swipe of his claw if he really wanted to, but as far as loyalties go I knew he was happy to be mine. I treated all my pokemon with respect and coddling whenever I could, and he was no exception. I just hoped that during battle he would remember that.

That and not set my towns forest on fire…

"Alright…" I took a deep breath. "Salamence!"

"Cattivo!" Ruby shouted, and to my dismay, gripped the ball with two hands, one on the upper red half and one on the lower white half. His teeth were gritted together, his knuckles straining. Was he…? Holding the ball shut?

My eyes grew wide, and for a second I could have sworn I was watching an act on TV. Normal trainers didn't do that kind of thing, and yet Ruby did it so well. He was squeezing the ball shut, while white light built up in side. It flickered and sparked like lightening, snapping at the outside world as his pokemon—Cattivo, whatever that was—demanded his release.

And then suddenly the whole meadow seemed to go alight with white. It blasted, flashed bigger than any other pokemon being released ever before. I covered my eyes, and in shock, actually dropped Salamence into battle, rather than throwing.

Two pokemon then stood in front of each other. A much wider, much broader dragon on all fours, with a mouth bigger than my head, was on my side, while a leaner, faster, and taller green pokemon screeched to life in front of Ruby.

"Alright Cattivo! Let's go!" Ruby snarled. "Agility!"

I swallowed hard… this would be one hell of a battle.


	6. Chapter 6

~Ruby~

This was it. My pose and all—though I hated revolting back to my acts on stage—it felt good to send a pokemon into battle with a bang. You ever try to hold a pokeball closed when it wanted to open? It wasn't easy, and I had been blown back numerous times by the blow. But hell, I scared the shit out of Wally—judging by the look on his face.

Cattivo, the name given to my tactful and often too smart for his own good, Flygon, was absolutely perfect for this battle. The name itself meant mischievous. Dragon against dragon, speed on our side, a vicious hyper beam for our final blow—I had this whole thing planned out from the start.

"Faster! Get out there!" I yelled to the green blur now, casting glances at the much slower, heavier blue grounded pokemon. It didn't look as if it was capable of taking flight even if it wanted to, it was far too huge. Even as it knelt on all four legs its haunches were as tall as Wally. Not to mention the height of its wings. It was easily as wide as a car too, with a neck thick enough to where you probably couldn't wrap your arms around it easily.

"Aerial ace!" I yelled once Cattivo reached his top speed. He zipped back and forth in the sky, making the Salamence swing its huge head back and forth, watching with narrow yellow eyes and a growing hate. The big brute was too stupid to figure out just where my pokemon was coming from.

Cattivo paused, and then sliced through the air with such velocity its wings made an unpleasant howling sound. Faster than the blink on an eye my pokemon reached the Salamence, but what I thought was going to be a critical hit turned into a desperate attempt at simply trying to attack at all.

Salamence proved itself capable of speed, obviously since when Cattivo reached it suddenly it was in its grasps. Struck with the aftermath of the attack blood spurted up from the forehead of the blue beast, which only angered it. There was a terrible howling when the Flygon was gripped with razor claws that curled up like a dead magikarp. They tore into his neck and lower left leg, leaving sickening trails of blood.

"Good job Salamence!" I heard Wally gasp. "Take it now!"

I didn't know what that could possibly mean, but it was obvious the unspoken attack had been ordered. Salamence pinned Cattivo with a snarl and roared before gripping it by the neck with huge gaping jaws. I could nearly hear the horrendous sound of teeth piercing the tough skin of my pokemon. More blood, a fountain of it.

"Get away! Cattivo! Fly!" I wailed, begging my pokemon to wriggle out of its grip. And boy did he try to. What was this a lock jaw? I flinched in fear.

Salamence gripped my pokemon in such a way where it couldn't angle its head upward and attack back. It could only dangle and scream in hopes that it would release it soon. The huge brute then took to the sky, flying much more agile than I could have thought possible. Its wings were enormous and heavy, flapping slowly and sluggishly.

It dragged my pokemon to the sky like a ragdoll… a ragdoll fighting for its life, but a ragdoll none the less.

"Let it go! Use dragon pulse!" Wally rasped, his voice failing him when he needed it most.

Let my pokemon go? "Cattivo!" I yelled, trying to dislodge its brain from the state of panic. That was part of the trick I assumed.

Salamence released him, and he came spiraling back towards the meadow ground with speed like a rocket.

"SNAP OUT OF IT!" I yelled to my pokemon.

Then dragon pulse hit, launching the pokemon from the falling towards the ground, to plowing into it. The back of my pokemon went up in smoke and I could see where scales had been fried with such heat. Salamence roared to life in the night sky and worked up another heaping ball of orange and blue flame. In the back of his throat the attack rumbled.

"Cattivo! Get up! Get up!" I begged as my pokemon fought with the grass and tore its head from the soft earth. He screeched when he moved his neck, that was bleeding in such a pattern that only teeth could have caused. He trembled with determination to stand on his feet again.

"That's it! Go on use hyper beam!" I yelled, thinking that I had underestimated Wally. Where he got such a pokemon was beyond me, but he sure knew how to use it.

"One more dragon pulse!" he yelled, fighting the coughing.

"MOVE!" I saw the flash even more it struck, and though it didn't end up doing much damage, it was enough to knock my pokemon back onto the ground wailing for mercy. A faint bubbling of white light appeared in its mouth, but the strength was too much. He could only scramble to his feet again, while Wally so politely gave us the time to re-gather ourselves.

I didn't need this… not from him. I was a good trainer! I had strong pokemon! "Cattivo try your speed again! Fly!"

Salamence landed and shook the ground with such force of an earthquake. My knees nearly went to jello, and my head rattled from the shock. He bellowed, one slithering pink tongue spitting saliva and flickering.

"Now is your chance!" I yelled frantically.

Still fighting, still determined Cattivo rose, only a few feet from the ground, only to be gripped again by those claws and dragged back to the grass. Salamence roared, pinning him down and forcing the weight of his body down on my pokemons shoulders. His mouth glistened with blood.

"Salamence!" Wally coughed, and I thought for sure he was going to order a killing attack. But to my astonishment and no end he didn't. "Stop!" he rasped, clutching his knees and trying to hold himself upright.

Salamence looked around in confusion, obviously upset with the ending of its fun. Such a powerful pokemon… I felt bad for my Flygon, and absolutely furious for the fact that it had just been beaten.

I couldn't be that bad of a trainer could I? I wanted to demand a rematch with a different pokemon… Biz could win it for me. She was psycho in battle; she could do anyone in the right moment.

Wally held up his pokeball with a shaky hand and returned the dragon of his quickly. I could hardly believe that someone so sickly was capable like that. Even now, as he was keeling over with his hands wrapped around his chest, taking deep breaths that would hopefully stop him from having another attack, he looked like a champion.

Frail as all hell, but still a champion. The way his eyes lit up, and the way he returned his pokemon in time to let mine be saved from being knocked out completely. Thought it was obvious I lost the battle, I was slightly upset about this. And here I thought I would beat him easily.

"Cattivo." I walked slowly to the twitching pokemon's side. "You—you look like hell." I tried to smile down at him, to make him feel better, but the pride that had vanished from his eyes seemed to fade with his strength. He lifted his head with a grunt to look at me, but it flopped back down with a thump. Blood covered the majority of my pokemon, and it was all I could do to call him back and hope the pokemon center would be open this late. It should be, but in small towns you never know…

"Ru—Ruby." Wally was walking forward, wheezing but slightly better than before. I expected him to look thrilled with himself, rather than absolutely horrified.

"I'm sorry… I—I ha—hate hurting pokemon like that." He explained; hand on his chest and eyes squeezing shut with pain.

"A battles a battle." I turned with my pokeball in my hand. "Congrats." But my voice betrayed the bitterness.

"Ruby… if… if you really… don't want me to go with you…" Wally stepped in front of me and waited for my eyes to turn up. They did slowly in surprise.

"I… I don't want to be a burden. I can find my own way out if I have to." He whispered, eyes down and dark circles forming under them. It was easy to see how sickly he was in the dark, where normally you would think the light would rather reveal his frail body. Another creepy aspect about him.

I should have been thrilled that he was giving me the chance to tell him to fuck off and leave me alone, but that wasn't how I really felt. I didn't think Wally was a bad person by any means, and I really wasn't that creeped out by him, I was just worried. What if he had another life or death experience and I was forced to give him CPR again? What if he—Arcues forbid—died? While I was with him…

I wouldn't know what to do. Surely it would be a horrible, traumatic experience, but at the same time it was just too hard to put him down like that. He was strong, maybe not physically himself, but his will power had proven far good enough for whatever journey I could be searching for. And he was courageous, willing to do the right thing when no one was looking. I could see that the moment he pulled Fever from the river this morning.

It seemed I didn't have a choice whether he was giving it to me or not. And hell, maybe some company would be helpful along the way. I never exactly had a guy friend I could talk to growing up, perhaps it was time I made one. Sapphire would disapprove—she hated the idea of "bros before ho's"—but I wasn't about to live my life around her preferences. We could talk and try and work things out, but there was a boundary to be set between my personal feelings and hers.

She was a show girl, she wanted nothing more than to perform and win contests with her pokemon. And I was… different. It was hard to imagine there was anyone else like me in the world sometimes, but being in this small town proved it not impossible.

Wally had the same internal dilemma about getting the hell out, and yet he was so much better at what he did. He obviously was a good trainer, and I was just a rookie at the moment—though I often thought better of myself—I knew he could teach me a thing or two.

So I looked him in the eyes and waiting a long moment, anticipating the way it would feel to have a traveling partner for the first time. With a deliberate sigh I shook my head.

"No, Wally you won fair and square."

His face lit up. "Oh than—

"But I have one rule!" I cut him off, holding up my gloved hand and gesturing for him to stop. He blinked in confusion but nodded eagerly.

"No dying… ok?"

He laughed—this time a real genuine laugh that was not forced in the slightest. His face was flushed back to a normal humanly color and his pale eyes looked brighter than the moon itself. I could have sworn a breath of relief came off of him in a contagious wave. With a small huff he stuck his hand out to me and waited for me to shake it tightly.

"Deal." He said, flashing those perfectly white, but slightly too large teeth of his.


	7. Chapter 7

~Ruby~

"I'm coming back."

"But you're not staying?"

"No."

"Then why come back at all?"

"We have to talk!"

My heart was literally jumping from my chest, thumping in panic at the sound of Sapphire's voice on the other end. It was a little after a day since Wally kicked my ass in battle and I was preparing to leave when she finally called me. I was lucky to have gotten signal on the deck of his house at all, but now that I was talking to her, I wished I hadn't.

She didn't believe me at all when I said I fell in the river, and that alone pissed her off. It was like she was purposefully setting herself up to hate me, and all I was doing was trying to make things better. Her assumptions were wrong and I didn't know what to do. All I could tell her was that I wanted to talk to her in person, even with her insisting not to come back here. I didn't get it. She wanted me to come back? But she didn't want me to come back.

Eventually after going back and forth for about three long minutes, she hung up on me, threatening something about the shows and contests. I grit my teeth together and shoved the phone in my pocket with a grunt.

"She will understand… when I see her." I tried to convince myself, but if I was being honest it was getting harder and harder to force myself to go back at all. She was my reason, and she was being terrible about it.

"Maybe there is something else bothering her?" Wally suggested from behind me. He stood in the sliding glass doorway to his bedroom gripping the wall with careful hands and waiting. "She might just be taking it out on you."

"It doesn't matter anyways." I turned with a sigh, hanging my head and leaving the balcony. "When she gets like this there is no stopping her."

After our battle the other night Wally had taken me to a place where I could get Cattivo some rest and healing since the pokemon center was indeed closed so late at night. I never understood that, but of course, there was no changing a small town like this to fit the city style life. They wouldn't leave a center open all night if you begged and pleaded.

We had walked through the outskirts of the town to where a broke white fence was littered in pieces around a field. It looked abandoned for all I knew, and I thought for a second maybe Wally was leading me to my death in the back of some old barn or something. The whole scene itself turned me off, and I hated the idea of un-thorough people handling my pokemon.

But the owner of the farm turned out to be nice enough, a breeder for that matter, very good with young pokemon. He had not certification to be a pokemon doctor of course, but after some insistent persuading by Wally, I was convinced he could give my pokemon all the health in the world and make him better in twenty four hours. I was counting on that.

And being that he was a breeder, it sort of won me over when I saw all those tiny, newly hatched pokemon he was taking care of. He had a herd of Miltank and Tauros that he bred together often, a large mass of bird pokemon, including some of the strongest looking Altaria I had ever seen. If he was anything it was thorough.

So I left Cattivo there in trusting that it would be back up to one hundred and ten percent when it was healed. Wally left Salamence there too, which worried me; thinking that the two dragon types might have something against each other for the battle. That would be just like Cattivo, to hold a grudge over a couple scars. I figured if the farm was in one piece today when we went to pick them up it was a good sign.

"You know… I'm just curious, Ruby…" Wally followed me through his room, grabbing a backpack full of supplies—which was pretty much all medication for him—and heading out into the hallway of his Aunt's house. He had spent the last hour convincing the woman the he was capable of taking care of himself, but initially it was me that had won her over. In her head I had saved Wally once, I could do it again.

"What?" I asked, taking the stairs slowly, there may or may not have been a tightening in my voice. I should have been excited; this was the start of my fresh start. As soon as I smoothed things over I could get on with living my own life.

"If Sapphire is being so… harsh. Why are you so worried about going back to her?"

"She's my best friend." I stated calmly. "I've known her almost my whole life… we were inseparable for a long time."

His pale blue eyes softened, resembling some sort of cotton beneath the glassy surface. "I'm sorry."

I laughed sadly. "You don't have to apologize. She's not always a brat."

"No. That's not what I meant. I mean… I'm sorry you guys broke up… I—I know its sort of my fault."

I blinked at him strangely. Never once did I think to place the blame on him, and I was shocked that he thought he could. I wasn't stupid enough to believe that Sapphire wouldn't have been just as mad regardless of if Wally had shown up that night or not. Sure she would have gotten her kiss, but that wouldn't have been enough to solve this issue. And yet the blatant guilt in Wally's eyes was real. I actually—surprisingly—felt bad for him.

"It's not your fault." I told him as we left his house and started picking our way up the path that would lead out of town to that farm.

"Sure." He tried to laugh sarcastically, but sounded pained again. He wouldn't believe me even if I assured him again, so I just rolled my eyes.

"Sapphire will find any reason to be mad at me. She likes to be in charge you know? It's a chick thing I assume." I sighed, trying to find the real amusement in this.

"That sounds terrible." Wally shook his head, which was still damp from having taken a shower. His hair stuck out in all directions, flipping up in a feathery way that I had never seen before. My hair normally just dried in a muss and stuck up in all the wrong places. It never looked too terrible, but certainly never as decent as his looked. At least my hair was naturally green, I thought selfishly.

"I've never given much thought to dating… I guess, it just seems like a lot of work. Especially for me, you know?" He smiled lightly. "I spend enough time trying to be healthy and happy myself, how could I ever get the time to make someone else happy?"

I thought about what he said for a second, wondering if maybe he had a point. If I was trying so hard to be myself and to make me happy, then was it going to be impossible for me to make Sapphire happy as well?

I sighed, remembering a time and place in our lives when being happy was easy, and no one had to even try. The desire to be back there again was so strong it shook me like an earthquake from the inside out. Where did we go wrong?

"It used to be so simple." I blinked, staring at the ground as I walked, feet scuffing weeds and kicking pebbles out in front of me. "Sapphire and I were best friends."

"Maybe she's changed?" Wally suggested, and the thought alone made me flinch.

"No. No, she couldn't have." I assured. Sapphire had been the same her whole life. Arrogant, testy, competitive… beautiful. That never changed.

"But people change." Wally insisted. "And sometimes it's a good thing, and sometimes it bad. I changed… I used to wish I dead, because it was easier than the truth. I used to live in a smog filled city, and that alone changed me. I used to be scared of everything; that changed too. I'm changing now. Everyone changes at some point I think."

"Well I've never changed." I shook my head, though in the back of my mind I was thinking that very recently I had changed. Dramatically too; I had actually grown some balls and stood up for myself. But that didn't mean Sapphire had changed.

"I bet you have." Wally's eyes narrowed at me, but they were amused.

I just shook my head.

"Oh hey look!" Suddenly he jumped in surprise. I jerked my head up and looked forward. We were now crossing a large field where pokemon basked in the early sunshine, enjoying the morning heat before it became too much. I blinked in shock at the sight in front of me.

My Flygon, my confident dragon of speed and tactic with all his devotion, was… playing? With that overgrown blue butter ball called Salamence? The two tussled on the ground, nipping at each other's wings with snorts and grunts and loud hisses. To anyone watching for the first time, might think that they were having a real battle, but I knew Cattivo didn't look that mischievous when he was mad.

Wally laughed while I gaped like a magikarp. Playing? How does that even happen? My pokemon got its ass kicked by the big brute, and now…

"Salamence!" Wally yelled to his pokemon, which now resembled a giant growlithe pup. Its forked tongue lolled out its mouth with an exaggerated snuffling, sending drool all over Cattivo. He had him pinned, bright eyed and wings flapping. The thing saw its trainer and hopped off happily, trampling the grass and running on all fours to Wally.

I had to flinch away when that sloppy tongue lashed out and struck him in the face, leaving a trail of slime to dribble down his jaw.

"Ugh. Gross!" Wally shoved the pokemon away and scrubbed his arm across his face. He was fighting laughter though, while I was trying to get past the idea of having that amount of slobber on my face. I shook my head in confusion. Let it go Ruby… you will never understand him.

Cattivo flew over and landed gracefully in front of me, while whipping his tail across the back of the Salamence when it wasn't looking. It snorted and turned its massive head at my pokemon, but there was no obvious sign that he'd done it by now.

"Hey… buddy." I lifted my hand and placed it on the Flygon's head. "What are you… doing?"

Cattivo's eyes narrowed beneath the indestructible red bubble like things, and without explaining himself he just turned to the Salamence and struck out at it again. There was a gentle slap sound before the pokemon whirled and trampled forward. I jumped back and Cattivo took off into the sky, much more agile that the Salamence could ever be.

"They're best friends." Wally gestured for me to fallow him. I had to cast one last glance at the two dragons though—to convince myself that I wasn't dreaming.

"Yeah…" I agreed skeptically.

Wally led us through the field with ease, taking long deep breaths that seemed to contribute over to me. I found myself subconsciously mimicking the way he did that, and ignoring it as much as possible as well. He was so obviously enjoying himself, but who wouldn't be? It was absolutely amazing out, and not one sign of his illness had snuck up on him yet.

"Where are we going?" I asked, seeing as though the barn we saw the eggs in the other night was now in our path.

"I'm just going to let River know we're taking our pokemon." He explained.

River was a large, hairy armed jolly man that liked to chortle at the sight of stupid things. I learned quickly that he loved his job, and found breeding pokemon to be both rewarding and "fun". He had no problem taking the semen of one pokemon and personally injecting it into another. It left me thinking that personally for me, I would rather go back on stage and perform the rest of my life.

Ok maybe not that—but I would pretty much rather do anything else than handle pokemon sperm. It even freaked me out that Wally was friends with this middle aged mountain man. Apparently he "helped out" here once in a while when there was nothing to do and his illnesses didn't keep him at bay. I flinched internally when we entered the barn.

"River?" Wally called. "Hello?"

"In the back!" a roar of a voice came. "Come quickly!"

We cast an awkward glance at each other before running through the straw covered ground to where the noise came from. Wally found him quickly sitting between bundles of hay and kneeling on a towel.

"What is it?" Wally whispered in awe, bending over to look at the thing he held.

A tiny slime ball of yellow fur. I curled my lip in distaste. "Is that… a pichu?"

"Sure is!" River bellowed. "Freshly hatched. You wanna hold it?"

"Uhh… no—no I'm good!" I held my hands up in defense. Wally was bright eyed and cackling along to whatever silent joke was shared between them. Obviously he didn't really want me to hold the little scrap; otherwise he would have offered it to Wally as well. I glared halfheartedly, assuming they just wanted to freak me out.

The man placed the pichu back at its mothers side after a moment of silence. The female Raichu cast anxious glances at me—because I was the stranger here—and wrapped her tail around it defensively. Wally stood up next to me and eyes me carefully.

"You look pretty pale, Ruby." He examined.

"I'm fine." I stated calmly. "I've just never seen a newly hatched pokemon before."

"Boy then I has got a surprise for you." River snorted and spit into the straw at his feet. I couldn't help but imagine they were all hicks around here. Small town people, with nothing better to do than produce pokemon.

"For me?" I asked in surprise.

"Yes! As thanks, I should say." He nodded. "Come over here."

"Thanks for what though?" I asked, following him in confusion. I looked at Wally, who was absolutely sheepish, hiding something more than just giggles.

"Letting your Flygon stay here for the night! I aint' never had a male Flygon around here."

"Uhh… your welcome?"

"Yes, siree, your pokemon was one of the best sperm donors I've ever had."

My jaw dropped as if it was made of lead, and suddenly it felt like I was going to have an attack. I held my breath in horror, gaping, trying to get the image out of my head. I ripped around to look at Wally, who was cocking his eyebrow up in worry, wondering if perhaps I was about to punch him in the face or not.

"You let him…!" I hissed a whisper. Oh my poor molested pokemon… It was no wonder why he looked so happy out there. Talk about change, something obviously CHANGED in him. I slapped my hand over my face, trying to hide the rage.

"It's not that bad…" Wally whispered back to me. "River knows what he is doing anyways…"

"Right here we are!" The man roared, having not heard us. He obviously wasn't fazed by the now extreme flush on my face. If it was pale before it was cherry ass red now. He turned and nearly tossed something into my arms—which would have been horrible if I dropped it— it was an egg.

"You're giving him an egg?" Wally asked in surprise. His face was lit up like a light bulb.

"Well his pokemon gave me damn near a dozen eggs!" River chortled. "It's the least I can do."

I started at the thing in wonder. I had never raised an egg before, and it was much less offensive than the newborn pokemon was. Its shell was very hard, and it had few rough patches where the light would send glitters shooting upwards. It glittered like the night sky, with pitch back swirls dancing across faintly.

"Wow…" Wally reached out and set his slender hand on the shell, feeling tenderly. "This is crazy! Thank you River!"

Part of me wanted to tell Wally that this was my egg, not his, and another part of me wanted to just give it to him now before it hatched and I was stuck with a needy slime ball like that pichu.

"You're welcome boys!" he turned. "Now, I best be getting back to work. Got a frisky magikarp that needs attention."

I swear I vomited a little bit in my mouth. "Ugh." I grunted when he was out of earshot.

"What kind of pokemon do you think it is?" Wally asked honestly.

"I—I don't know if I even want it." I readjusted the heavy thing in my hands. "How are we supposed to travel with an egg? Not to mention I don't know how to take care of it."

Wally grinned. "I have room in my backpack, and I have raised all my pokemon since they were eggs."

Just my luck, I said silently. Bringing the one trainer person in the world that actually knew how to handle eggs with me. I knew this was crazy, and even though it was kind of exciting I knew I couldn't take it with me.

"We can't." I shook my head and went to turn away. I would just go give it back to River… or leave it where he would find it…

"No! Ruby." Wally whined, following me quickly as I headed for the barn door. I approached the outside light as well as Cattivo with a hasty glance around.

"Where did he go?"

My Flygon nudged my shoulder, partially curious about the egg, and partially looking around for his new friend. I got the feeling the two dragons were playing some cheap game of hide and seek.

"Ruby." Wally grabbed me by the bicep and waited until I looked at him exaggerated. My eyes narrowed.

"Just look at it." He took his other hand and set it on the top of the egg. "There is a living pokemon in there, it could be something really rare you know."

I looked down at the egg with a sigh. It was true… it could indeed be a rare pokemon, and judging by its glittery navy blue shell it didn't seem very common now. So the chances were high. Not to mention I did only have five pokemon on my team, I had room for one more… once it hatched it would be fit to go in a pokeball so traveling would be easier.

"You know… When River gives eggs away, it's usually because he doesn't know where they came from or who laid them…" Wally looked up with his horrible wide lilipup eyes. He blinked at me in wanting. "That means that he doesn't really want this pokemon."

Such a guilt trip. I curled my lip at him and took one more glance down at the egg. It seemed to plead with me as well. But what suddenly won me over was the fact that from deep inside the thick shell I could feel something moving, scrambling as if it was trying to reach out to me with mores code. I blinked, trying to wrap my head around the "miracle of birth"… well at least he didn't give me a pregnant pokemon instead. Then I would have to watch it lay an egg.

"Fine." I muttered to Wally. "But you will have to help me take care of it." And by that I meant 'you will have to do all the work until it hatches'.

He grinned wildly and ran a hand through his messy hair. "OF course!"

"You can start by putting it in your bag… I don't have room in mine." I pushed the large oval shaped thing into his arms and walked off to find my pokemon. We had to get going if I ever planned on making it back to Sapphire soon.

"Salamence!" I heard Wally call from behind me.

"Come on Cattivo." I turned to my pokemon, who was still glancing around nervously for the other dragon. He looked at me with a sinking expression, not wanting to leave his game. I took my backpack off my back and loosened the straps far enough so that I could slide them on around his wings. A Flygon with a backpack? Ever think about that?

"Wait…" Wally suddenly looked over, expression growing wide. The amusement faded quickly. "We're… flying?"

"You have a flying type." I flicked my hand at the approaching Salamence.

"But—but I…"

"Just hurry up." I gripped my pokemon by the antennae like horns off the top of his head and pulled myself up quickly to be sitting on his shoulders. "We don't have all day."

"But—Ruby I!"

Cattivo suddenly screeched at the Salamence with amusement. Its blank expression turned into one of sluggish disapproval and a heartbeat later it was shoving its head up under Wally and tossing the trainer onto its back. I smirked as he floundered, gripping his backpack with the precious egg and trying to settle himself. He was gasping in panic—but not in the same way he would before an attack—and looking up at me.

Cattivo took to the skies like a rocket, calling after his new dragon friend, seeming to say something like "catch me if you can!" I held tightly and looked back after me just in time to see the Salamence follow us with heavy flapping wings. Wally clutched on for dear life, and I could have sworn when his face turned up to meet mine he was going into shock. It was my turn to laugh now, as a trickle of blood fell from his nose—great timing to have a nose bleed.

And there was no turning back now… we were off.


	8. Chapter 8

~Sapphire~

There was a faint numbing in the pit of my stomach from what seemed like ages ago. It was a skittish alluring feeling with no weaknesses. I felt like my heart was playing some ancient video game where you had lives and no matter how many times I tried I would love all my lives and have to start over at the beginning. I was the ghosts in Pacman getting eaten, the sheep in Spyro getting burned and turning into puffs of smoke, and the mushrooms getting stepped on in Mario. The lives I shared throughout these horribly graphic games were dwindling and luring me into a dull powerless state.

And oh how I wanted to erase my data and start over.

But I couldn't. No matter what happened in the last two weeks I couldn't shake the dwelling pain of knowing Ruby just didn't care about me enough to stay here. I had known for the last few months before he left that he was hurting, and he was upset because of his mother and the stage life and the critics and judges. I knew he was being pushed to his limit, but in all that time I had only gotten the chance to grow closer to him.

We spent hours staying up together, lying next to each other in the studio basement staring up at a ceiling that was coated in water stains. No one went into that basement but us, and it was so very obvious that it was our sacred place. We used to count the days until mold would start forming, and talk… just talk…

Like the friends we were we would just talk and laugh and encourage each other. We would joke about hidden mistakes in our performances, and make fun of the judges mustache, and complement each other when it was necessary. Being together had been easy as breathing, quiet and unnoticed as blinking, and as natural as the wild pokemon. We were everything for each other, especially on those long nights spent in the basement.

I had thought that Ruby loved me with all his heart. I had been absolutely one hundred percent sure that he was going to be my one and only. I figured this boy who I had known over ten years, who I watched grow through awkward fazes and rise to stardom, would one day marry me. I was expecting this perfect happily ever after and what does he do?

He leaves.

Ruby was so desperate to get out of this city and he never even told me… though I couldn't say I wasn't warned. If anything I should have gathered that he was going to leave one day. He was miserable; he bitched about his mother and even had to fight back tears sometimes. I should have known; I should have realized that it was only a matter of time before he snapped.

And now look who's lonely. Me.

I found myself wondering recently where I went wrong. Was it that night when he called me? Had I been too relieved? Had I expected too much of him? Was it my mistake for going to find him? Surely if I would have made him come to me things wouldn't have been so bad…

Perhaps if he made the journey back to me it would have been a lot easier to convince him to stay, rather than going to him and giving him the dominant satisfaction of knowing his girlfriend was always going to be dropping at his feet. Maybe I made the mistake when I cried in front of him. After all it may have been that weakness that made him stay away. Did he want a stronger girl? Had he already found one?

I had this horrible sinking feeling in me that the boy I grew up with was somehow changed now. I felt like every moment I ever spent believing in him, being jealous of him, loving him… was wasted. I felt nauseated with grief. So sick actually that for a week I couldn't even perform and the public went berserk.

It was bad enough that their number one, Ruby, had left so suddenly, but then they had to face the truth that their second best, being me, was now drowning in her own suffering. The whole world had turned my life into a soap opera in the last two weeks, and you know how long soap operas last. It was like watching day time television every moment of your life and feeling every dramatic emotion from ever dramatic character. A pile up of pain that just kept getting bigger and bigger.

Dozens of guys had sent me flowers when my heartbreak went public, and little cards saying things like "I can be your one and only" and "here's my number" and "let's have rebound sex" fallowed by an address. Guys were taping pictures to these packages for Arceus' sake. Hell, even some girls had taken a shot at me.

But none of them were Ruby, which I realized was what I wanted more than anything. I wanted to see him, hold him, love him and know he loved me back. I didn't want the pathetic public's sympathy, I didn't want paparazzi—for the first time in my life—and I most certainly didn't want lesbo sex with a bunch of whores.

I wanted Ruby, and continued to tell myself this until the studio managed to throw another wrench in my plan. It was the day after Ruby called me saying he would be home soon to "talk". I was mad at this of course, because the guy was so stubborn I knew if his mind was set on talking then that was what we would do. There would be no embracing, no loving, no joking around and encouragement like there used to be. All it would be was talk, and not even good talk.

The lowlife I had become in two weeks-wearing his old Tshirts and not having the strength to do my hair-worth of time must have made my eyes fuzzy, because I surely wasn't expecting Ruby to be back that soon. Soon for him would be at least a week, and yet there he was, right in front of my eyes the next morning.

I pieced together, in the thirty seconds that I stood in awe, unable to believe what I was seeing, that he must have flown through the night without stopping to come back to me. And somewhere in that amount of time he had decided that he was going to stay, because he was sitting facing a judge and talking in a hushed tone. My heart had leapt from my chest to see him in his usual performing outfit—complete with hat and all—and I had never been more relieved.

He did love me… he did love me!

Those were the only thoughts gathered in my head, while I jolted forward and ran to him, throwing my arms around his middle and locking them together so tightly he probably had the wind knocked out of him. A horribly cheesy grin had etched across my face and left the judge with wide eyes.

"Ruby—oh Ruby I'm so happy you came back! I knew you wou—

And that's when I figured it out.

He turned, looked at me with a slightly scared expression, and revealed his true identity, which caused me to leap backwards in shock and shake tremendously. A fire of hate grew in my chest for the near identical boy, and it was all I could do not to commit suicide right then and there. Hurt and anguish lapped at me like a black ocean wave, and tears begun to pour.

"Who—who i—is this?" I stammered to the meanest of our three judges. He was the one with that ugly mustache and ugly personality. I stared at his coal black eyes in repulsion, casting glances at the boy I had just latched onto like a leach.

He didn't look bothered, just a little sympathetic, and I absolutely hated that he responded to my question himself, rather than waiting for the judge to answer.

"Hello." He said in a muted voice, much like one of a lullaby. "I'm Brendan."

Everything seemed to fall into place then and there. My boyfriend left, I dumped him when I should have listened to him, and now they finally found a replacement worthy of stage life. Everything that seemed to be ruining me at the moment came crashing down, and I couldn't stand it.

"Why?" I whispered, ignoring the confident boy before me. He had the same facial expressions as Ruby did. The same hair, the same tight chin and soft jaw. His eyebrows were set the same way, his shoulders the same width and sloping. Everything about him was Ruby, and I hated it. The fact that I couldn't look at him from behind and know if it was my boyfriend or not would slowly kill me. For sure he was going to be my worst enemy. The only noticeable difference there was between this guy and Ruby was his eye color. And the fact that he was perhaps a tiny bit taller than Ruby had been, but I couldn't be sure of that.

Ruby's eyes bore the shade of, well… rubies. Dark luxurious crimson, almost burgundy but more red. It was his signature feature. And while this character here—this look alike—had the most striking green eyes I had ever seen. I hated them.

I hated him.

"Sapphire." The judge approached me, thinking that maybe I was going to claw out Brendan's eyes if he got any closer. He pulled his large hands up and set them on my slender shoulders. "It's time to get over it. I know you're upset but honestly… just let him go."

"He's coming back though!" I assured, lip quivering. "He said he was…" The shock of Brendan not being who I thought he would be struck me like a ton of bricks and I couldn't shake that feeling.

The judge looked sternly at me. "Sapphire, I have known you your whole life. I knew your mother when she was just a girl. And I know that you aren't this strung up. Get over it." His eyes narrowed. "Or you're fired."

No one would dare ever threaten Ruby with such words, and that upset me more. I was facing the terrible fact that I missed him so much and even now, with him not here I was feeling competition with him. Where along the lines had he gotten so much better than me? And more importantly, why did that matter? I obviously wanted him back here… I needed him back. But why was it me threatened to lose my job when he was off gallivanting?

And my heart sank. How could I lose my job? The only thing in this world—performing—that was sure not to walk out on me. If Ruby was so flaky then I had no business being flaky myself. It wasn't rational to hate this judge for what my boyfriend did, but I did. I wanted to spit on him for telling me to get over it.

Maybe you should go get laid. I snarled silently as he released me and turned.

"And Sapphire." He mumbled before leaving to go boss other people around. "I suggest you get used to calling Brendan, Emerald."

"Emerald?" Brendan blinked in confusion, unfamiliar with the name.

The judge ignored him and kept his eyes on me. "He's your partner from now on. This is more than a performance now. This is a story. Ruby leaves; Emerald swoops in and sweeps Sapphire off her feet. Capiche?"

I could see Brendan's eyes flickering towards me, judging my reaction to this and finding it much more blank than he expected. I stared as if I had just been paralyzed, not blinking or breathing.

Oh Ruby… where are you now? I wondered. Why can't you just come back?

Brendan took a step towards me in my frozen state and bent down ever so slightly to my level. I could tell he blinked thoughtfully though I did not make eye contact. I couldn't bear to look in those emerald eyes.

"Sapphire?" he said my name for the first time, and it was gentle, loving in a way I had never heard before.

I didn't answer him, nor did I move.

"Sapphire… I'm sorry." He whispered before pulling away and leaving me alone in the studio. I waited until his back was completely turned and several feet away to look at him.

No doubt that was Ruby walking away from me; they looked exactly the same from behind. I stared in wonder, all the while damning that boy to hell for making my heart ache. Damning Ruby for making me wounded in the first place.

"Oh and…" he said back to me in his muted voice. And I had to admit, I was glad he didn't turn around when he said this, it would have been too much. I couldn't take the words themselves, let alone his striking eyes to pull more strings on my heart. I listened carefully, unable to grasp just what he was saying, but somehow believing every word of it. He spoke in a careful tone that not even Ruby could master.

"He's not worth it Sapphire." The newfound gem spoke. "You're too good for him."


	9. Chapter 9

~Wally~

He's wild and fast and brave and bold and everything I wish I could be outside of my hometown. He rides his pokemon, owning the sky and the world below him with graceful loafing strides. And while I had to fight nausea and hide my face from the ground, I couldn't help but notice just how absolutely drowned in his power I was. I was lucky Salamence knew to follow the Flygon, because there was no way I could control him when I couldn't even control myself.

I wasn't sure just how long I had stayed in the air, clutching my clunky pokemon as tightly as I could before Ruby took us in for a landing. All I knew was that the dramatic change in atmosphere had me chugging on my inhaler like a train. We approached the ground too fast and I was knocked from my pokemon, narrowly avoiding a large rock. It was there I lay shaking, gripping my chest and panting that I realized it was him that had gotten me into this.

I realized with contempt that flying again was going to be hard for me. The risk I was taking with my breathing was too hard. The air up there too thin for my delicate lungs to handle. Not to mention I was scared silly of heights like that. It wasn't your average flight when you pokemon's shoulders were rolling and trying to buck you off. I wasn't convinced that Salamence was fast enough to catch me if I did fall anyways.

All this left me feeling like I was terribly weak and fragile, and I hated that it was the outside world that could prove me wrong. I was strong, I was able, and yet even the air was telling me otherwise. Oh how I wanted to prove it wrong. I wanted to be like Ruby.

"Wally." The burgundy eyed boy walked over to me, his legs so obviously stiff from the ride. His angular face came above mine as he looked down at me, lids half closed with luxurious fatigue. "I have to tell you something."

I brought my inhaler up to my lips once again and sucked in once more just to be sure I would be alright to talk. My chest stung for a second before it felt better, and I sighed passively, sitting upright and letting my shoulders lump forward.

"Yeah?" I croaked, reaching for my pokeball and calling Salamence back. I hoped this would postpone any reason for Ruby to want to travel again so quickly. I didn't think he wanted to, since we had stopped in a very lush grassy field, where nearby there was a very large body of water—a lake I had never seen before. It was a comfortable place to stop, though the sun had barely just begun to reach its peak in the sky.

Ruby moved in a strange way, with a hesitance that had me worried. He wasn't about to leave me here was he? Did he change his mind about me coming with him? No! I was strong, I was able! I could make this journey; I would fly again if I had to.

He sat at my side and pushed his feet out in front of him, looking up at the sky before speaking. Not a single cloud dotted the expanse of blue.

"Do you know who I am?" Ruby mused.

"What?" I blinked. That was most certainly not what I was expecting. "What do you mean?" Of course I knew who he was… he was Ruby; he saved my life and liked to talk to himself. What else was there? Maybe it was just my simplicity that had me confused, but he looked amused and I felt embarrassed.

"I'm famous." He admitted quite arrogantly, leaning back on his hands and pushing his shoulders forward to stretch. For the first time since I had met him he looked one hundred percent peaceful, and I was wondering if it was the flying that did that to him. Maybe he enjoyed the choking thin air that wanted to suffocate me?

I looked at him in disbelief. Famous? Says who? I wanted to ask him if he needed to use my inhaler to get some oxygen to his brain, but it was obvious he was being truthful. And what bothered me more was the fact that I could picture it so easily. His sharp features, mild personality, and intense thrill rides all lead to that kind of person. He was intricate unlike me, detailed, something with a lot of pieces I couldn't find. I wanted to believe that he wasn't whole because of this, but that would be a lie. Ruby was whole… at least the way he looked now.

"I ran away…" his face turned down ever so slightly, and I could see his eyebrows coming together. "I came from Mauville City; you know where they do all the pokemon contests?"

I nodded, but knew I had only heard about them maybe once or twice in a conversation. I wasn't even sure what qualified you for those contests, or what they were about.

"I was a performer." He explained. "And pretty much everywhere else in the region I go—other than your tiny town—people are going to recognize me and want my autograph and girls are probably ask me to kiss them."

I had to fight back that internal picture in my head. Large dirty cities full of eccentric fangirls chasing after him with paper and pens.

"And I have to go back." He sighed. "When I left I ruined a lot of things and it's about time I make them right… This doesn't mean I'm staying there though." He looked up at me and forced a smile. "I guess I'm kind of like you in that way. I just have to… get away. You know how that feels."

Yes… yes! I do! I couldn't find it in me to speak though; I was too caught up in the fact that Ruby was secretly living a world I had absolutely nothing to do with. Part of me wanted to blame that world on his hesitation to let me travel with him, and part of me wanted to believe that world was far beneath this character. City people don't usually raise their hands and get in line to save others lives, let alone someone as famous as he claims he is.

"To be honest I don't know where I'm going after I go back to Mauville." He sighed.

I wanted to tell him that I would follow him wherever he planned on going—even if that was nowhere in particular—but it came out in a spastic question I wasn't expecting.

"Do you sing?" I asked, thinking about the angel voice I heard twice since I met him. That night on the hood of that old run down truck, and outside his window just a day ago.

"What? N—no!" he looked appalled that I would ask. "I never said I was a singer."

I looked suspiciously at him. He was blushing. "But you sing so good…"

"No I don't!"

I had to laugh now, at the expression of pure horror on his face. He glared nervously as I ran a hand through my hair and blinked fondly. "Yes you do. I heard you."

"When?"

"That night you—saved… my life." It was strange… now that I thought about it, neither of us had brought up that in particular, and you would think that would be the first thing we would discuss.

He turned a dark shade of red and gritted his teeth together. "I wasn't singing."

"Yes you were!"

"No… you were loopy, you probably dreamt about it or something." He argued, folding his arms and pouting slightly.

"No way, I heard you." I insisted. If there was anything coherent about that night, it was how clearly I had heard his voice. That's what triggered my nose bleed after all. I knew what I was talking about.

Ruby just shook his head and sighed. "It's official. You have some kind of mental illness too."

"Not funny." I tried to glare, but there was a slight hint of teasing in his voice, so I couldn't bring myself to be really mad. Besides, HE was the one with a mental problem. With a voice like that he should be showing the world, not denying it.

"So if you don't sing then what do you do?"

"You mean what DID… I do?" he corrected. "I was a pokemon handler… I preformed."

"I don't even know what that is…" must be some city term.

"It's just a type of contest… I would… go on stage and perform weak attacks with weak pokemon and a shit ton of sparkles. The whole thing was pretty gay." He curled his lip. "But apparently I was good at it. The crowds loved me most."

"Good at being gay huh?" I returned the cruel favor of teasing to him with a smirk. If I didn't know any better I would say that the two of us were getting to be good enough friends… I could tease him like that.

"Shut up." Ruby snorted, but his eyes danced with humor. He knew I was only joking. "Wait till you get a mouth full of… those people. You won't be laughing."

Intimidation was never that much of a bother for me. I wasn't afraid of people; I had much more serious things to be afraid of. So shrugged and rolled my eyes.

We sat in silence together for a long moment, staring out across the blanket of fluffy green grass, eyes scanning the clearing to the water's edge, where reeds were being lapped against the shoreline. I could see where a mass of wingull were plucking through the mud and the shallow water. I took a deep breath, tying to drench myself in the fresh air while I could. It was already harder for me here than in Verdanturf.

"Hey, I've got an idea." Ruby suddenly said, changing the subject and standing up quickly. "Let's have some fun."

"Huh?" fear rose in me like a wave. What he could possibly mean by fun paralyzed me. This was fun for me, sitting and relaxing and chatting about nothing in particular. Teasing each other way fun…

"You got a water pokemon?" he asked, unclipping a ball from his waist and holding it in the palm of his hand lovingly. The top of this ball was a shade of cerulean blue and had lighter flecks in it.

"Yeah…?" I said hesitantly, hoping he wasn't about to ask me for another battle. My water type wasn't all that strong, more so uncoordinated and random. The Azuril I hatched from an egg only a couple years ago had grown into a full sized Azumarill already, but she didn't enjoy training much, and was probably better off not trainer at all.

"Do you know how to surf?" Ruby asked, tossing the ball up eagerly and catching it in his hand over and over again.

"Do I look like I would know how to surf?" I asked exaggerated.

A devilish grin spread across his face and he beckoned for me to join him. "It's too hot to just sit around in the sun all day anyways."

I was shaking my head in distress. First flying now surfing? And how do you surf in a lake anyways? I wanted to decline and tell him he was crazy if he thought he could get me up on my own pokemon, but the look on his face was just unbearably… cute (cute?) that I couldn't. I shook myself from the fear and stood up, leaving my backpack in the grass besides his.

I hadn't just called Ruby cute had I? I wanted to laugh at myself. Such an inaccurate description. Ruby wasn't cute. He had attractive features, I will admit that much. Most people would probably love to be in his place, but he wasn't cute.

"Hope you can swim." He mumbled to me, stripping his feet of his socks and shoes and tossing them aside. I bent to do the same, crouching and untying the black laces of my boots before prying them off. I managed to get one foot off before I caught sight of him from beside me, gripping the ends of his shirt and pulling them up over his head.

Of course he was famous. How had I doubted him? Anyone with his personality, voice, features, and body would have guessed that. He looked like he had just walked out of a porno, and I was quite daunted by this. My skinny frame would make me look anorexic compared to his thick muscles. I frowned, wishing selfishly that I wasn't in the body I had been given. It had been a long time since I minded someone else looking better than me.

I watched Ruby go in silence, thinking about putting my shoe back on and sitting there in the grass. Knowing him he would drag me in the water anyways, but at least then I had a few minutes to gather myself. He walked away so boldly, with his shoulders back and his stocky frame tight. The sun glinted off his very light cameral tinted skin. Had he just stepped out of a sunscreen commercial? I couldn't be sure. I would have suggested a shampoo commercial if it wasn't for the fact that he was still wearing that stupid hat of his.

He didn't plan on wearing that in the water did he? I sniffed indifferently, thinking that maybe it was his only flaw, and I should accept the irrationality of it all. No one needed that hat to begin with, it wasn't that special, let alone it was over ninety degrees and humidity as buzzing in the air. This gave me the courage to strip myself of my other shoe and shirt. If he had one stupid flaw then I could have one too.

… or two… or three or four. NOT counting all the illnesses I had. Those were flaws too sadly. I sighed and wrapped my arms around my middle, staring down at the flat expanse in front of me. I was pale now but I knew I could tan nicely if given the time, that would help me look a little better. My ribs on the other hand, I couldn't help. They showed through the layer of skin too bravely, and left me insecure and feeling tired.

I glanced up at Ruby again as he approached the water and tossed his pokeball for the last time. I was too far away to see just what water pokemon he had, which was probably a good thing because it also gave me the motivation to go over there. I blinked twice quickly and shook my head. It's not as if I have anything to prove… why would Ruby judge me anyways?

I moved my hand—not exactly sure why—and brought it up to my face. It was one of those subconscious motions that you do all the time and never notice unless there is something wrong. And this time, lucky for me (sarcasm) there was something terribly wrong.

I coughed in surprise at the streak of crimson on the back of my hand. More spots spattered my chest and forearm as I stood in frustration. "Blood…" I huffed under my breath. "Not again!"

Dammit Ruby.

Why do you have to be so cute?


	10. Chapter 10

~Ruby~

"Come on slowpoke!" I howled to Wally, who was trying his hardest to keep up with me.

Water was spraying us in the face, creating waves that lapped at the shoreline like hungry pokemon wanting food. Sun was pouring down on, making the moss green lake shimmer and dance. Not a cloud in the sky could ruin this perfection. Wild flowers blew on the shore, sending a wafting of pollen and dandelion petals all around. Everything seemed to be flowing, growing, aloof with life and spontaneous as I felt. It was like, for a small part of my life, I was living a fairy tale.

Wally seemed to be having trouble with the air so high up, and not to mention my pokemon was getting a little worn out, so I decided now would be a good time to call it a day. Though the day really hadn't gotten that old, and the sun was only at its peak, it seemed the thing to do. I couldn't pass up the chance to forget all my worries with my favorite electric type, and surprisingly, my new accompaniment.

The quiet and sensual Lanturn I had made my own after a summer of nights talking to her out in the ocean about my life was flying beneath me while I gripped the single antenna like horn out of her head. It was throwing sparks of excitement and making my fingers twitch, but it wasn't enough to hurt. A tingling sensation that I actually quite liked. We rode like the wind, having perfected this game over the last three years.

I called this lovable and docile pokemon Coral, because of her love to bring that stuff to the surface where it could potentially hurt something. I remember one time she thought she was bringing me a gift and it had ended up a Corsala with a nasty attitude. That thing had stuck me with its rough body, only to be electric shocked by my pokemon not a second later. Coral had been—or wanted to be—my protector ever since.

She was one to forget her large size and the fact that her sensitive electric abilities could kill someone like me in the water, so it took a long time before she was fully trained to let me ride with her like this. Tugging on her electric supply and everything, she was perfectly happy, though occasionally taking a sharp turn or dunking me under purposefully.

She did that now, braced herself on the waves and changed course just to throw me off. I had to drop to my knees and hang tight so that I wouldn't be picked up by the massive whirlpool she kicked up with her back fins. Laughing I wrapped my arm around her antenna tightly, my other hand clinging to the sopping wet hat on my head that kept going into my eyes.

"You're crazy!" We slowed enough then so that Wally could catch up. He drifted inward into our break carefully, perched on the back of his fat Azumarill. The pokemon looked to be having fun, but it had the same clumsiness that Wally had himself, which was a bad combination in the water.

"Live a little!" I yelled to him, shaking water from my eyes and pushing my hat back up. "You were the one that wanted to get out of that small town!"

"That's not what I meant." He glared at me halfheartedly, raising his hand and touching beneath his nose to check for leakage. A little while before I managed to drag him into the lake he had gotten a terrible nose bleed, and tried to use it as an excuse. So I splashed water at him and accidentally made him swallow some the wrong way. He was furious but laughing, and now paranoid.

"What do you mean then?" I let my feet slide out from behind me so that I was sprawling on the back of my pokemon, letting the choppy waves lap at my sides and feet. I had to shove my hat up again.

"I am living, I just said you're crazy." He kneeled on his pokemon carefully, but relaxing his hands a little. "By the way I was wondering…"

"Hmm?"

"How come you never take that stupid hat off?"

I blinked in shock and got to my knees on Coral, reaching for my handle and glaring at him. A flash of hurt went through me, but then just anger. "It's not stupid." I defended, pulling on the wet sack. This hat meant a lot to me, considering it was given to me from a time in my life when I was very fragile myself.

When I was only four years old my father decided he was going to hate me or my mother or himself, and somehow it came down to just hating life. He wasn't happy, he was very violent, and being a former gym trainer, he had more strength in one hand than a herd Tauros. I remembered very clearly the day he snapped, after so long of wondering why he was the way he was.

My father had taken whatever built up anger he had in him and channeled it through six of my mother's favorite ceramic plates-one of which had my hand print in it from my first year of school. I remember not how it felt, when he chucked those plates at me and sent glass sliding across our kitchen floor, but the absolute fury of being an innocent child. I was smart—even back then—I knew that it was not my fault. Whatever my father had against me was his problem not mine; I took sanity in knowing that.

He split the corner of my forehead open that day, and I wound up in the hospital for the first—and last—time of my life. I wasn't a self destructive child because my mother had me on a short leash, but even if I was I can guarantee I wouldn't have ever gone back.

Ten stitches and a huge scar later I found myself taking comfort in this sack of a hat. My mother's family friend had given it to me saying something along the lines of "use it to your advantage", meaning my show life. It was this woman—whose name I can't even remember—that got me started in all those pokemon contest and shows. She was my manager, she was like an aunt to me, or a much older cousin.

And then she died from some cancerous tumor and left my single mother in a rut. Her husband went berserk, her kid wasn't what she wanted him to be, and to top it all off her best friend had died. I felt the effects of this sadness myself, but was too young to fully comprehend what that hat she gave meant to me.

To me it was something to cover up my scars and stop people from asking about them. I hated explaining what happened more than anything. To my mother it was all she had left of her best friend. And to the world, it was some ugly sack that got in the way more than it did any good.

I wanted to tell Wally all of this, I really did, but it came out in a disgruntled snort instead.

"You don't ever take it off do you?" He challenged when I didn't answer.

"It's my signature." I shook my head, though I did take it off rarely when I was alone or taking a shower.

"For what? Your fame?" Wally looked snide—probably getting back at me for this whole surfing thing— "I thought you wanted to run away from all that?"

I glared at him. He was right when he said that, most people did recognize me by my ridicules hat, but it was still my hat and I still appreciated it. He would too if he knew its background.

"Sorry." He shook his head, perhaps noticing that I really didn't look to happy. "It just looks like more of a pain to deal with than is worth. I don't see why you don at least take it off in the water."

"Alright fine." I pushed upwards and stood on my pokemon again. "I'll tell you what; I'll take it off if you can catch us!"

Whirling with great speed Coral squealing in delight, playfully raising her tail and letting it swoosh back down, drenching Wally in a four foot wave before we sped off into the middle of the lake where we could gather speed without reeds to get in the way. The wakes plowed up from behind us and created a single path for the Azumarill to fallow. Wally was clutching tight, but far too slow to reach us.

I laughed to myself. "Too slow! Let's go Coral!"

Gripping the antenna and bracing myself the small whale-like pokemon dove, beneath the surface with me holding my breath and grasping my hat. I couldn't see beneath the murky water of course, but her underwater vision was perfection. I felt her turn and swerve, perhaps heading back the way we came to tease Wally, and just when I thought I would have to let go she broke surface again allowing me to breathe.

I felt like I was riding some type of seadoo with one handle and no way to adjust the speed, which was probably one of the most exhilarating things I had ever felt. Coral was a jet boat, gliding through the water with more skill and grace than a milotic. We made Wally and his Azumarill look like dead magikarp.

We skipped twice like a rock and came to a skidding stop in the water, spraying another burst of mist in the air and swirling around Wally daunting him with flicks of droplets. His pokemon was aggravated now, snorting and swiveling its long ears in frustration. Coral laughed a squealing sound, echoing me and my hooting.

"Stop it!" Wally growled as we circled around him and sent a whirlpool to suck and gab at his sides.

"You gotta catch us!" I yelled.

He groaned. "Azumarill bubble!"

"What?"

In the blink of an eye a large beam of sizzling bubbles shot out at us, popping with loud snaps and making me flinch. It stung slightly, like the effect of sanitizer in a fresh wound. I narrowly avoided falling into the lake from the blow, and had to catch and steady myself.

"Hey!" I yelled at Wally, glaring, but before I had the chance to see where exactly he had gone Coral jolted out from under me. I gasped in shock, about to fall backwards only to be knocked completely forwards instead.

We hit the water flailing away from out pokemon and fighting with the bottomless water. Bubbles pushed my hat off my head and I just barely managed to snatch it before the thick material could sink. Water shot up my nose and went down my throat, sending me into a flurry of gasping and coughing and trying not to laugh or snarl while fighting with the water.

Just before I thought I would lose the battle with myself I was pulled to the surface, slender hands yanking upwards around my middle. Hat in hand I broke the surface and was met with my own raven hair soaked to my forehead. I rasped and blew out water from my nose before turning to look at Wally.

"Asshole." I fought back the stinging in my sinuses. "That was cheap."

I was expecting some kind of triumphant laughter from Wally, but it didn't come as he threw his arms over the floating body of his Azumarill. He took a few deep breaths before looking me in the eyes and running a hand through his mop of hair.

"You ok?" I kicked my legs and half-growlithe paddled over to Coral.

He nodded but his voice was tight. "Yeah. Fine." He coughed once. "You—you wear that hat to cover that scar don't you?" he pointed at me.

I rolled my eyes. Of course. No one could ever just NOT notice that jagged discolored patch of white across my head.

"Yeah. So what?"

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I like my head to look somewhat normal."

"It looks fine."

"Yeah ok." I rolled my eyes and pushed my hair back to reveal the full length of the scar. As long as my finger and unpleasant. I expected Wally to flinch away from its ugliness in understanding. He would want to cover up a scar like that too.

"It's not so horrible." He dismissed without even asking—I expected that too. No one had ever let something like that go before. Everyone seemed to want to jump to conclusions and assume it was some clumsy-kid-running-with-scissors-accident. But not Wally. He really just looked unfazed, as if I hadn't shown him at all. As if it wasn't even there.

I just shook my head again and held up my hat. It was too sopping wet now to even put on. It wasn't worth the extra three pounds of water. I slapped the thing over my shoulder and swung my leg up over my pokemon. She blew bubbles pleasantly as I stroked her forehead.

"Right… Come on Coral. Let's get to shore." I said looking at Wally, who was trying not to cling to his pokemon. The poor thing looked almost exhausted as Wally did.

Without thinking I plucked a pokeball from my waist and released my second water type—my very first pokemon—who was the badass of the team. Having only two male pokemon there must have been some competition or something, because he surely took the dominant factor. He was my daunting secret, a prize that won me more battles than I could have hoped for. He was massive with a head as wide as my shoulders and a gaping mouth studded with nubby teeth. He was my Heartbreak, and he surely would scare the hell out of Wally.

"Here." I let the ball open to reveal a large white mass. It transformed into a large wading shape that bellowed. Heartbreak hadn't been out in a while, so of course he was pissy.

"T—two water types?" Wally looked small next to the beast, especially as it glided over to me and sent a wave over his head. Heartbreak was oblivious of Wally. Perhaps because his eyes were too wide to see him and the Azumarill off to my side.

"Yeah. Yours looks a little worn." I commented and beckoned my pokemon over. Coral squealed a hello and was rewarded with a deep grumble. Heartbreak often reminded me of a mean old man that liked to yell at people to get off his lawn. Even so, I loved the pokemon just the same, and had no problem stepping from the back of Coral onto it. He made a gentle snoring sound at me and I patted the top of his hard head.

"You can take Coral back to shore." I suggested.

He released Azumarill quickly and shifted onto my pokemon.

"She won't go too fast." I smirked and wacked Heartbreak on the neck. "Let's go buddy."

He submerged like a serpent of some sort—preferring to swim under the water- and left me to crouch knee deep in the water with the wind blowing my hair back. I looked back at Wally, who seemed to be trying to reason with Coral not to go fast at all. I chuckled under my breath, knowing she would tease him.

And it was strange… I had this horrible desire to torment poor Wally, because I knew just how nervous he was about being out in the real world, and yet I had no clue what I was doing out here myself. I blinked and turned my eyes up to the sky, where the sun was starting to break and head west to set. It was hard to believe that I was becoming close to someone like him at all, let alone becoming good friends. He was a hazard to his own health and pretty awkward at everything, and yet it was impressive just the same.

Wally had things to say that I had never heard before. Just like this morning when he suggested that people changed all the time. I hadn't given much thought about it then, but he was right. People were always changing, which included me. If I wasn't changing I wouldn't have agreed to letting Wally come with me, I wouldn't have saved his life in the first place, I would never have even been in that town. I changed when I stood up to my mother and left; it was the biggest accomplishment I had ever done.

And even today, taking my hat off in front of him—or more so being ok with him knocking it off. A couple weeks ago I would have beat the shit out of a wimp like him… but now I was happy he was there.

"It feels good to have my hat off." I said to myself, holding the beloved item in my hands for once. "I'm not hiding behind it."

A distant wail caught my attention from the wading pace I was moving with my Swampert. I turned, looking back towards the middle of the lake to see Coral taking Wally for the ride of his life—perhaps more thrilling than even flying on Salamence. I shook my head and sighed.

Boy was I changing.


	11. Chapter 11

~Wally~

_I really, I really, whoa  
I really need to know  
I really, I really, whoa  
Or else, you gotta let me go, oh  
I really, I really_

This time I really need to do things right  
Shivers that you give me keep me freezing all night

You make me shudder, oh yeah  
I can't believe it, I'm not myself,  
Suddenly I'm thinkin' about no one else  
You make me shudder

I couldn't believe my ears.

Even after arguing with me today about not singing he was mumbling the words of some sexy turn-on song I couldn't wrap my head around. He thought I was asleep, since I was five feet away, curled up in a ball with my backpack as a pillow and my face turned the other way. I had the mystery egg at my side and had been lying like this for far too long, hoping—knowing—that if I waited long enough and became quiet enough he would start to talk to himself and perhaps let me into that strange world in his head.

I wanted to listen without being heard, and I wanted to try and piece the unconditional puzzle together while he talked randomly about things here and there. I had almost given up hope by the time the chill of the night had set in.

But they he started singing, and I couldn't begin to understand why he said the words he did. Though I hadn't heard the song before I was amazed by how accurate his lyrics were. It was as if he was making it up as he went. Perfect free-styling in a way I couldn't believe possible. I was amazed, and more so than that, I was enthralled in his voice.

Though he had great range and power, I preferred to hear it clearly when he held back. Like now while he thought he would wake me—he was near whispering and yet it sounded perfect. The wind was his orchestra, the grass was his conductor, and the sky was his studio. I had to guess it was his heart that leads him away from that all in reality.

All day I had spent trying to understand why he would give up such a life of fame like he claimed he did. He never explained it, and I never got up the nerve to ask, so it was gnawing on my brain like a bad itch. What could have possibly made him leave his life and go to such a small town like Verdanturf? Honestly there was no rational reason for it. City folk never stooped to our level.

And yet he did, though the music of the big world still was playing in his heart. He drummed his fingers softly in the grass, keeping beat while he went on and on with the magical blabber.

_Give me affection  
I need your perfection  
Cause you feel so good  
You make me s-s-s-stutter, stutter_

I shivered.

_If I could touch you, I'd never let go  
Now you got me screaming and I cannot shut up, oh, shut up, yeah  
Now I am lying on the bedroom floor barely even speaking_

Nervously I played with a blade of grass, for a moment concentrating on something other than his lyrics and hoping that I wasn't feeling the way I thought I was. I wanted to turn over and look at him, to read the expressions on his face while he sang. I wanted to see if maybe he was making faces to go along with the distant and yet so powerful moans between verses. No doubt he was having some sort of musical orgasm over there.

_I'll give you everything  
Give some attention to me  
All I want is you and me always_

Give me affection  
I need your perfection

Cause it feels so good  
You make me s-s-stutter, stutter, stutter.

'No you.' I wanted to say out loud but held my tongue. 'You make ME stutter.'

Silence dwindled for a moment, and I was holding my breath for the next line, hoping that I would be able to mouth the lyrics along with him. He had been going back and forth for so long with this song I thought I was getting it down. By now I should know when the chorus was coming, but knowing Ruby he would switch it up again.

"Stutter…" he whispered, drawing out that strangely dirty word. "Shudder…"

I forced a relatively shaky breath down my throat before balling my hands up into fists. No Wally, NO! I felt as though I had to scold myself for such behavior. Something was always wrong with me… even on a night like tonight where I should be perfectly fine there was always something.

"Stutter…" his breath reached me with a wave of heat. My face went aflame, and for a split second all I could see was the strong strides he took over those waves today on the lake. I couldn't even remember what his clothes looked like, just his smooth muscular chest and his pleasant face. Sharp features, tight cheekbones, and a terribly attractive scar above his left eye…

Oh Arceus what's happening to me?

My lower lip trembled with heat and a strange feeling came over me. My insides all seemed to coil and uncoil again. Like the way it felt when you dropped in an elevator too quickly, or a roller coaster in slow motion. My lower stomach lurched with a passionate hunger and I thought for a second I would vomit all over the place.

So much for pretending to be asleep. Swallowing hard I pushed past the surprise attack in my lower regions. I bit down hard on the side of my hand, checking for a nose bleed while also trying to silence the urge to guzzle air, which was the worst thing I could do in this situation. That restraining for air was what made me pass out the first time I met Ruby. I forced another breath but it didn't sound normal.

When was the last time I felt like this? I couldn't remember, though it was a familiar feeling altogether. And I knew exactly what was happening.

A curse that came with being a human male. A strenuous swelling of our most precious body part. My face must have been absolutely cherry red, my eyes lolling and half lidded with this sexual sensation. I was hard… hard and fighting hyperventilation. Why? Why? This wasn't normal for me at all. And I was so embarrassed. Surely my hot face would set the grass on fire.

"You're so full of shit Wally!"

I gasped in shock at the voice, letting in that wonderful needed air, but creating a panic in my heart. It raced and—like the song—stuttered.

"I knew you were faking." Ruby snorted.

"Yo—you're the one tha—that's full of it!" I tried to find my voice and counteract him, but it was just a squeak in the night. Apparently my entire man hood had collected in the base of my erection."You do sing!"

"I know." He said simply. "But not in public."

"Then why-?

"Would you have stayed awake all night waiting?" Ruby asked, and I could hear the grass rustle as he turned from his back to face me. I turned too, to look him in the eyes and see just how arrogant he was.

Surprisingly his face was soft and innocent, and to my intense interest he wasn't wearing his hat at all. Maybe that was because it was still drying from earlier, but I liked to believe it was because he was comfortable with me.

"I knew I wasn't crazy." I whispered just loud enough so that five feet of space wouldn't disband the noise. He heard me—but barely.

"Nahh… but you are the only person that has ever heard me sing."

"Re—really?" I blinked, a warm feeling spreading through my chest and making it tighten. Not in the bad way though. "What about Sapphire?"

If I wasn't mistaking he flinched at the name of his ex. "Nope." Was all he said. "I figured it didn't matter—you had already heard me once anyways."

Twice, I corrected mentally. But there was no need to go into details about how I stalked him. I blinked thoughtfully; trying to understand just what it was exactly—that had me feeling this way.

I could have blamed it on the fact that I hadn't pleasured myself in over a year, but that would be such a rational excuse it was wrong. I wasn't about to lie to myself when the truth was right there in front of me. It was Ruby. Something about him that just twisted me up into a knot of nosebleeds and erections and new found bravery.

"You sing really well." I said after a moment, shifting so that my thighs were pressed tighter together. Better yet, I could just lay on my stomach. I moved swiftly as naturally as I could.

"Thanks." He smirked up at the sliver of a moon in the black sky. More light was coming from the stars than anything. "Now go to sleep."

I sighed, wishing that sleep was an option. But now especially, I would be up for who knows how long fighting the desire of things I wouldn't dare touch.

"Ruby…" I mumbled uncomfortably.

"What?"

"I—I—like listening to you sing." Oh Arceus what was I saying? "You should sing—more."

"Maybe in my sleep." He sighed and rolled onto his other side away from me again. I stared at his back between the blades of grass. Only in a perfect world would he be my lullaby...

I folded my arms under my chin and perched my lips. "Goodnight… Ruby." His name made me happy in places that shouldn't have emotions.

"Night." He whispered back.

…

~Sapphire~

"You know, you're not exactly being easy to like." I felt the lecture of the century coming from the one person in this world I thought I would never let get to me. He was broad, he had hair that stuck up in the back on its own, he had straight angular features, and most of all he had the most daring emerald eyes.

"Shut up Brendan." I rolled my eyes. "You think I want this?"

"I don't see why not." He pulled pushed a smaller box of stage clothes aside and off a much larger crate of props. With a huff he sat down next to me and leaned his elbows against his knees and his chin against his hands. He sighed. "Sapphire, I know you think that he's coming back and things will work out, but really? Why give him the time of day?"

"He's my best friend." I refused to look at him.

"I can be your best friend." He said smoothly. "If you would just open up to me… Sapphire I could be your everything. I'd be there for you… and stand up for you and make you strong when you feel weak. I'll catch you when you fall, I'll be there for you! I will! This isn't stage life; I'm being honest right now."

Throughout the last two days I had discovered that Brendan wasn't as identical to Ruby as I thought he was. He was patient and kind and willing to help anyone in need. He liked to be the center of attention and he liked to be the ringleader. He was a natural at it I might add, though it displeased me to know.

Brendan was a strong soul, but a weak heart. And that there was exactly what Ruby had that he didn't. Ruby had more heart in a single cell than Brendan had in his whole body. Ruby was fiery and not easily pleased, while it seemed Brendan was only out to please everyone else. At one point in time Ruby had been like that… but it was always forced and painful to watch. You could tell Brendan just wanted to please everyone.

He was a kiss ass to say the least.

And in the state of mind I was in, it was pretty damn hard not to succumb to his kiss ass ways and starting kissing ass myself. He was sweet and kind and every time he tried to win me over with words like "your one and only" and "I'll be there for you" I couldn't help but think of what Ruby would have said.

"How about a battle?" I could nearly hear his addictive voice. Ruby would have said "you know it always make you feel better." And then he would have let me win, just because he knew that letting me with would both make me feel better and piss me off at the same time. I sighed.

Anyone could talk the talk, but only Ruby could walk the walk.

"Sapphire." Brendan whispered, leaning over to look at me while I tried to my hardest to look away. "You're hurting and you shouldn't be. Ruby is the one that should be falling apart. It's his loss."

"I know." I lied, just to get him to shut up.

"Then give me a chance." He pulled his hand up gently and set it beside my jaw. Gently he pulled my face over so that I was forced to look at him. I blinked twice and shook my head, pouting. Why couldn't Ruby show half that kind of devotion to me? Why didn't Ruby love me like Brendan so obviously did?

"Let me take you out tonight." Brendan suggested with a luxurious tone. "You won't regret it, I promise."

I looked deep into those emerald eyes hesitantly, feeling like I was on the edge of something greater than just your average cliff. It was like stage fright and nausea mixed together, making my heart beat faster.

"Don't you want one night to just forget about him?" he murmured, raising an eyebrow and smiling a perfectly straight, angelic smile. I knew Ruby's would have been crooked and devious, and I hated myself for it. How could I forget about Ruby when Brendan looked so much like him?

But more than anything else in the world I knew I did want to forget about Ruby… not forever… but just for one night. It was so hard to be in constant denial with yourself. I was worn out and sluggish and performing had been hell because of it. No doubt I was in misery because of that runaway boy, and though I was awaiting the day he came back to "talk" to me, the thought of forgetting him was tempting.  
So was getting out of this rut and actually dressing in normal clothes.

"Where do you want to go?" Brendan asked sweetly. "Dancing? I'll take you dancing."

Oh Arceus forbid. Dancing… like I didn't do enough of that around here anyways. The managers had been pushing fluid steps and lithe movements on me for the past forever because Ruby had always refused. He used to say that dancing was private, and that you shouldn't abuse it because then it's not special. But never once had he ever asked me to dance with him… A spark of anger lit up in my heart.

"Sure." I said to through tight lips, as if this was suddenly a jealousy competition. Not that Ruby would ever really know I went dancing with Brendan, but the idea of him knowing made me feel slightly better. Ruby had always been protective of me, so he should be jealous of that fact.

"Really?" Brendan asked in surprise, befuddled by my sudden backing down.

"Yeah." I agreed and pushed away from him, thoroughly disgusted with myself. I must be pretty damn crazy if I think this would actually work. How could someone so similar to Ruby take me away from him?

But his eyes were sparkling and I knew he was thrilled. Brendan, despite being a full on Casanova, was innocent. He didn't understand just how hard this was for me, but more than anything I knew he wanted to. The truth was hard to bear; believe it or not I would have respected him more if he was a jerk.

I didn't want him to tell me I was better than Ruby. I didn't want him to make me feel like I was on top of the world. I didn't want him to sway me in any which direction with his smooth talk. I didn't want him. I wanted Ruby.

And yet this desire way burning in my stomach and I could not refuse. Brendan…

He was everything I ever wanted in a guy, and I hated it. No girl should ever have to put up with this much perfection, because it would only lead to disaster. If there was no flaws then there was nowhere to go but crazy. Brendan would drive me crazy.

But then again… Ruby drove me crazy too. I was so conflicted I couldn't stand it. I fled quickly, out of the studio and towards the backdoor. If I could just go home and have some time to think… Maybe then I could convince myself that this was utterly wrong.

"I'll pick you up at six." Brendan said as I threw open the door and stormed away.


	12. Chapter 12

~Ruby~

"Hey… I—I just thought I should call to tell you that I should make it to the studio tonight…" I mumbled to Sapphire over the phone, hissing at the terrible cramping in the back of my leg. I hadn't gotten a good solid grip on Flygon while we flew this morning, so I spent the whole two hours gripping him with my legs so I wouldn't fall off. Note to self, never sit BEHIND the wings on a dragon pokemon.

Sapphire hadn't answered the first time I called her, which was only about five minutes ago, but persistent as I was she knew better than to ignore me. I called back again and she picked up on the first ring.

"You—you're really coming?" She asked in a small voice, very unlike herself. "Why?"

"I told you Sapphire… I want to talk to you." I furiously rubbed the back of my leg and flinched, trying not to grunt in pain. I gritted my teeth. "I'm sorry…"

"For what?" she said, sounding distracted.

"For leaving in the first place… I should have told you beforehand. I should have let you know… but really it was a split decision. I didn't think about it myself."

Today I had woken up feeling good, knowing that there was hope in stringing things together again with Sapphire. I was confident and eager to see her. I had even already decided I would kiss her and hug her and tell her I love her. Even if I didn't mean it, I had to tell her. I had to win her over somehow.

"Mmmnhhmm." Was all she said.

"Are you distracted? Sapphire this is important" I was nearly begging now, releasing my leg and stretching it back and forth, making faces as I went. I could see Wally giving me a skeptical look from where he stood a little ways off. His breathing had been bad today, and it was strange not hearing his familiar curious chatter. Usually he would fill the silence with asking me about my personal life, which wasn't all that bad. I enjoyed talking about myself—who didn't?

"Yeah well… Ruby I—I have to go." A moment later Sapphire said. There was the faint noise of rustling in the background. "I'm getting ready right now."

"Getting ready for what?" I shook my head in frustration. "We don't air today, there is no performance." I hadn't been gone so long as to forget exactly when we went on and what our hours were.

"I know. I'm going out tonight with a friend."

"A friend?"

"On a date."

A sudden burst of shock rose in my chest, chilling the air with a painful silence. The noise in the background stopped, Wally stopped breathing heavily, even my heart seemed to brace itself. What terrible coincidence was it that Sapphire was so eager to dump me… and now she was going out on a date? It hadn't been more than a week later! Was she cheating on me? With who? Why? What did he have that I didn't? Maybe she had gone lesbian for that stuck up asshole judge that always seemed to want to do her nails.

"I'll talk to you later…" Sapphire whispered in a pain filled voice. "Ruby… I—I'm sorry."

"Then why are you doing this to me?" I bit back a scream of hate. "Who is it? Sapphire!"

"Ruby." Wally coughed from a few feet away. He came forward and stuck his hand out to me, but I ignored him.

"Sapphire! Answer me! Who is it!"

"I have to go!" she snarled back.

"SAPPHIR—

"Ruby!" Wally gripped my wrist and yanked the phone out of my hand. I glared in anger as he hit the end button, though it was because of Sapphire, not him.

"She's going out with someone else!" I was appalled.

"Ruby stop." Wally said in his muted voice. There was a faint rasp to it, from where I could hear his chest had swelled and tightened. His throat must be dry as well.

"Use your inhaler." I grumbled. I didn't need him passing out again.

"I'm fine." He lied. "It's just the smog in the air."

"Use it."

He sighed and moved to sit next to me, placing himself barely an inch away in the weedy field where we landed. It was nothing like the lush and plentiful area we stopped at yesterday. The lake had been stunning and beautiful, whereas here it was nothing but half sun-baked grass and rocks poking up through the dry soil.

Wally looked at me for a long moment before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the small silver lifesaver. He looked at it in his hand before speaking. "If I keep using it… then my lungs won't get used to the smog, and I will only be worse later."

I pulled my knees up to my chest and hung my head on them. I didn't know anything about that asthma or breathing problems, so I just assumed he was right and left it at that. My mind was on other things anyways. I took a deep breath to steady myself, but the wave of angst was strong. It threatened to pull me under.

Seventeen years of being best friends was slipping down a drain to nothing. I was losing myself in that current, thinking about all the memories we had. The happiest times of our lives spent together. I remembered the first time she won a contest, and I had been the first person to hug her—even before her mother. I could still feel her head on my chest when she needed to feel loved. I could see her backing into a monstrosity of a truck with her brand new BMW that she had gotten for her sixteenth birthday. I had disgusted the thing anyways, preferring to travel by pokemon.

The initial impact of such memories made me flinch. How much longer would I have to think about this? And more importantly… why did it bother me so much to know that she was slipping away? It was as if everyone had always expected so much of us that now, without an expectation, we were slipping away.

I recalled a word my mother had said to me a few months ago, just before I started to hate everything about showbiz. The word was showmance, and she used it to describe the way our fans saw us. I knew it was wrong—or so I had thought—but now I was considering that maybe she had a point. My and Sapphire were a couple under the eyes of the world, constantly being fed the bullshit of those fans that wanted much more than friendship. When we hugged, they saw, when she was upset with me, they knew. I had done so much to protect that barrier between their world and ours so that I could convince myself that what we had was more than a showmance.

I used to take Sapphire into the rotted out basement of the studio just to get away from the cameras and the fans. It was the only place where we could truly be ourselves… and we had done that in the most frivolous way possible; together.

I hid my face from the pair of pale eyes at my side. What could I possibly say to Sapphire that would change her mind? She was the most stubborn person I knew other than myself, and I knew if she was dead set on going out with this whoever-he-is, she would do that. Part of me wanted nothing but to turn back around and go back to the middle of nowhere and sulk. I wanted to return Wally to Verdanturf town where he could breathe again and just forget this whole thing ever happened. Going back in time would have been nice… but I doubted a Celebi would just show up on cue. My luck just didn't swing that way.

"Ruby…" Wally said my name softly. "Are you ok?"

NO! I almost snarled at him, but caught myself in time. It was not his fault that Sapphire had turned away from me, so I knew I shouldn't take it out on him. Instead I sat silently, letting the anger engulf me.

A slender hand placed itself on my shoulder and squeezed softly. He didn't speak, but he was there for me, and I couldn't tell if it was comforting or not. This was one of those times where I knew I would be talking to myself if I was alone, but was somewhat glad for a reason not to. I wasn't exactly self sufficient when it came to the conversations with myself. I always ended up feeling worse.

Wally sighed. "I'm sorry." But I knew he couldn't quite understand. It was clear in his voice that my emotions were foreign to him. I envied that he had never felt the effects of heartache before. He was the self sufficient one. He didn't need anyone to make him happy because he knew how to do it himself. I wondered if that could have something to do with the fact that he had grown up always fighting for himself.

A gentle hand wrapped around the back of my shoulders slowly, reached across the broad black slate of my shirt and gripping the other side carefully. Wally embraced me like you would a child in pain, which was probably the closest feeling he could understand from me, and I felt the strangest wave of comfort.

Despite myself, I was happy Wally was here. I had never found someone quite like him to share my world with, and even Sapphire couldn't reach that. Wally had seen things from me that no one else had, and for once it didn't bother me. I was sheltered my whole life, and braving the wild with someone of the same-yet-so-different upbringing made it that much easier.

"Thanks." I mumbled, pulling my head up to look at him, and for the first time I seemed to REALLY look. Not only at the obvious features- pale blue eyes, honeydew colored hair, slight gap between his front teeth; but at all the immaculate things that blended so perfectly into his flaws. Sure his features were too small, more likely to be seen on a female, but they were brave. His lips were slight and skinny, touched with a pink lilac kind of a color that also accented his cheeks. They were smooth looking, soft when you would think they should be rough like his insides.

Wally was neat and orderly in appearance, but also serene in a way, airy and radiating with light. He was the definition of innocence, no doubt, and I couldn't help but wonder what was so refreshing about that.

His hand moved down the length of my shoulders and he released me, breaking away from my gaze as well as touch. He drew an inch closer to push his shoulder against mine comfortingly and flushed a helpless crimson. Not much of a hug, but I wanted to snort at the attempt.

A tiny smile cracked through the morbid sadness that was burning me, and I felt nothing but a sudden stinging, devious anger stir.

Sapphire could do whatever the hell she wanted and I couldn't stop her, but that didn't change the fact that Wally was still there for me. I blinked in satisfaction and hope. I knew that if I could stop the one other person holding Sapphire up, she would have to fall back to me.

Sapphire didn't have someone like Wally to keep her stable, she was swayable. I could change her mind…

"Let's go." I was suddenly shoving up off the ground and gripping the pokeball from my waist.

"What?" Wally blinked in surprise at my sudden attitude change. He saw the blatant determination in my eyes, and maybe that bothered him. "You want to go back still?"

"Damn right I do." I threw the ball and it landed with a sharp thud. Flygon emerged with a cry of satisfaction.

"Oh—ok…" Wally pushed himself upwards and fallowed slowly. If I would have known better, I could have sworn there was hurt in his eyes. I couldn't imagine why. It didn't matter anyways.

I had to get back to the city and stop this madness.


	13. Chapter 13

~Wally~

Well he blew through the door like TNT… to say the least.

An hour of vigorous flight had left both me and my pokemon exhausted, and then there was this suddenly high, horrific demand for attention as we entered the smog filled repulsion that was Mauville City. I stumbled along the crowds, tripping on stray feet out of place and garbage that littered the floor around trashcans posted at every other streetlamp. I didn't understand why it was so hard for city folk to make their garbage IN the can, but I couldn't let it bother me.

They are different here… that was all I could keep telling myself.

"Ruby!"

"RUBY!"

Howling began as my favorite traveling partner of franticness raced down the streets, taking his chances rather than flying in with his pokemon that apparently didn't land well in crowded areas. He called Flygon back into his ball a moment after I had left Salamence take his rest, and then we started running.

And let me tell you, running was not a fun thing for me. Especially not here. I was rasping, gasping, choking on my own breath while I strained to keep pace with Ruby. He was like a miniature tank when people tried to approach him, much too determined to beat the afternoon before it would take Sapphire away. The sun was already high in the sky, and the heat wasn't helping anyone's attitude. I could barely keep up, and it seemed like every other second I was considering stopping.

Ruby or my health? What was more important to me? I didn't even know, so I kept following him, hoping that he would give me a reason to have picked him. I would die for him, but then again… I would probably give my life to even the most oblivious stranger if I saw the chance. I was raised believing you always put others before yourself, but I was also raised never to take chances like this. Not with my illnesses.

So what was I supposed to do?

My breaking point was becoming faster and harder to avoid. It was like my throat was slowly closing, and I started to feel lightheaded, and my heart started to splutter in agony, and everything just seemed to blur and spin. My eyes must have lolled once, because for a whole split second I couldn't see anything but the back of my head.

And then Ruby grabbed me by the wrist and hauled me back to reality. My legs stung for not being used to such activity, and I could tell I was on the verge of a shin split. I wanted to beg Ruby to stop, to let me have some air—if there was any at all between the dust and the smog. I needed it. I had to stop… I couldn't—

A terribly frightening and familiar feeling shook me like a hurricane. My steps started to slow, and between the doubles, triples, quadruples of everything around me, swarming like a herd of beedrill, I knew I was losing it. My throat close and locked shut, leaving me desperately clutching at my chest for air. My inhaler would help… I had to reach it though.

That's when we blew through the doors of some big time production company, into what seemed to be a back entrance with guards around. I didn't know how they let us through so fast, but I could hear Ruby's name being called, and then just as frantically Sapphires. The lights of cameras flashed and snapped and I was pretty sure a microphone hit me in the face at one point.

I tried to yell for Ruby, to make any sound at all that would be louder than the people screaming around. Flocks of gear covered men and makeup artists came pouring through the rooms that lined the hallway we ran through.

"Sapphire!" I heard Ruby wail, and I hated it. I hated it with all my might. I wanted to cry I hated it so much. How could he love someone that was obviously so wrong for him? I didn't care how long he knew this girl, if she had the nerve to break up with him so quickly without respecting his decisions… well then she was the pitiful one. She would be sorry for not seeing what she had right in her hands. She was wrong for him.

Dizziness swarmed me like a tornado, ringing in my ears making me teeter back and forth. I needed air… I needed—nee—

"Wally!"

Ruby? I wanted to answer that voice, while the ground spun closer to me and my eyes closed not a moment before, but a whole lifetime. I was falling for what felt like a century, and when I finally reached the ground, I fell some more.

"Medics!" the voices sounded like gurgling in my ears, throbbing, beginning to drowned.

Ruby—no… you—C—P—

"Ruby!"

Another…? Who was—?

Blackness…

~Ruby~

I was the worst friend in the entire world.

I was both spineless and selfish and utterly stupid. If I wasn't… I would have followed the ambulance to the hospital and made sure that Wally was ok. Sure he had woken up before they even loaded him in, but something else was serious enough for them to want to take him. It may be because he didn't come from this city, and they wanted to make sure he wouldn't be seriously injured here, but whatever the case, I should have been there.

I shouldn't have escaped with flashbacks in my head of the first time. I shouldn't have been so concerned with the asshole Sapphire was going out with that I couldn't think straight. I shouldn't have been so selfish. Or stupid. Or pathetic.

It was my entire fault… to think that I could have possibly made it back in time to see Sapphire before she left for her date. It was my stupid mistake, the voices in my head telling me if I wanted it bad enough it would happen. What was I thinking?

I wanted it alright… but it certainly wasn't worth it now.

The studio was under the influence that I hadn't more than a simple acquaintance with Wally—if that—and they hadn't bothered to ask me anything vital about him. It was almost as if I was more important to them that the choking figure before their feet. I was absolutely disgusted with the sluggish pace they worked. Everything seemed to move in slow motion in that particular moment.

We were running down the corridor to the main studio, passing familiar broom closets that smelt of bleach and Windex when it happened. Wally's arm had gone limp in my grasp, and before I could realize what happened, a dead weight had ripped him away from me. The ground seemed to pull him under like a wave, and his head was suddenly magnetic to the grey plastered walls. Camera crews had been chasing us, as well as persistent fans screaming my name, but it all seemed to fade in that moment.

I yelled for the medic, though not dropping to his side like I should have. Had I frozen in panic, lost in a horrible memory of blood and mucus and chest compressions. That night over three weeks ago had come flooding back, and all I wanted was to forget about it and move on.

For once selfish second I had damned that boy to hell for being the way he was—which wasn't his fault—and then I realized just what I was doing. Reverting back to the way I was in the studios before I left. Cocky, arrogant, and by all means a jerk. I wouldn't have given a second passing glance to someone like Wally before I got out of this town. It was as if Mauville had a curse that turned you into a monster. Or maybe there was a bubble around it injected with asshole gas, and anytime you came here you got converted to the insolence.

Wally must be immune to such horribly behavior patters of the city, because no matter how bad things got out there he was still by my side. Paparazzi had been shoving him, yelling, demanded, and he stayed on my heels the whole time. I wished I could make it up to him… I wished I could apologize before things got any worse. I sad voice was telling me I wished I would have never taken him with me in the first place…

But that was a lie. I didn't regret Wally coming with me at all. I had enjoyed his company much more than I thought I would. He had proven a worthy traveling companion, and not only that… but a great friend. I expected him to fall short from the start, but never once had he complained. He had been there for me the last few nights, listening to me talk and hearing me sing. He had gotten me to open up to him as well as gotten me to open my eyes about some things.

For the first time in a long time I really truly hated myself for what I did to him. Left him in his time of need… he would never do something like that to me.

I remembered the way his Aunt had been before we left a couple days ago. She had cried with worry, afraid that her baby—though not by birth obviously—would get hurt out there. She had entrusted me with hope and I knew now I let her down. She expected me to take care of Wally… and I had done the opposite. I brought him to a place where the air itself was a hazard, and then I left him when he got really sick.

He was now in everyone else's hands but my own, and I was too stupid to realize this until I was halfway to Sapphires favorite restaurant, thinking that maybe if I could find that guy with her, I could take my guilt out on him through a fist.

I had taken my hat off, LEFT my ripped up torn clothes on from our journey here, and hid my eyes with a pair of glasses I never wore when I was supposed to. No one on the streets would recognize me now, so I had the time to think peacefully while I dragged myself miserably to where I thought Sapphire could be.

In the back of my mind though, my feet were going the other way. It was about sunset now, and I knew Wally would be settled in the hospital, thinking that I had abandoned him when he needed it most. Misery tugged at my heart and I was covering my face thinking frantically, trying to grasp just what was making me do this.

Was it the fact that Sapphire and I had known each other much much longer than me and Wally had? Or was it because I was suddenly very afraid of what Wally would have to say to me? I couldn't picture him mad, but more so extremely disappointed—or worse—hurt. I shuddered at the thought, pushing up my glasses on the bridge of my nose with a sniff.

I had to turn back… I couldn't just let this go as if it was nothing… I had to see Wally and make sure he was still alive, at the least. Or I had to see if he still had enough kindness in his heart for me to let me apologize. I didn't even expect forgiveness from him… I just had to tell him that I was sorry.

Arceus I had to tell so many people I was sorry…

My mother, Sapphire, fans, producers, managers, everyone and now even the one person that really proved there for me. There was no one it seemed, that had missed out on the destruction I created. All I did was hurt people and ruin their lives. It was a terrible thing to believe about yourself, but it was the truth. If I wasn't so selfish… maybe I could have spared some people some pain. Maybe Wally wouldn't be in the hospital right now—maybe I wouldn't be out looking for my ex girlfriend that was obviously so hurt she had to resort to this kind of behavior.

With my head low I slunk into the large doors of the seat-yourself restaurant with more decorations than a baby shower. The lights were low as they always were at this time of day, and I could see through the opposite end of the enormous cube of a building, that the patio out back was full of twirling and swift couples. I scanned the area thoroughly for a long moment, looking for any sign of a green bandanna or a short skirt.

Sort Sapphire out first… apologize to Wally second…

I hated that things ended up in that order, I really did… but it was too late now.

"Excuse me sir." A felt a sudden, soft tap on my shoulder from behind. I jumped slightly to see a wide eyed and round faced girl with a casual pink hat and ponytail that hung down to her waist. Obviously she wasn't from around here, judging by her clothes. She held the hand of a very tall and goofy looking man with equally as long green hair. He on the other hand, was wearing a full on tuxedo. I blinked in confusion. Out of all the people in the world there had to be another greenette here? Really? Just to remind me of Wally even more. I fought the urge to glare.

"You are Ruby… right?" The girl asked, a slight smile forming on her lips. "The handler?"

No. no no no no no! I turned my head and shook it vigorously. "No, you're mistaking." It took a world of effort to look even remotely uninterested in them. I turned away, fighting the nightmare.

"Ruby, I have a question." The jolly green giant asked in a muted voice. "You are nice to the pokemon you perform with… right?"

"Babe…" The girl scolded softly and I caught a glimpse of her shaking her head in a silent 'no'. I didn't understand her worries. "Of course they are treated nicely." She whispered to him.

"No really… you've got the wrong guy." I insisted and turned to flee. Crazy couple… they weren't about to ruin a night like this for me—not any more than it already was. I heard a faint call after me, but was already storming through the crowded restaurant, muttering to myself and hiding my face from the world.

I walked around the outside of a huge median set to divide booths from one another, using the plush fake flower arrangements as cover. Customers didn't walk this way, so I was subject to get caught by the kitchen workers and told to walk around, but luckily it didn't happen. I swept by quickly to the large glass doors leading to the outside patio.

A sunset of gold and orange was lined in a sorbert pink and glittered with the faintest traces of the streetlights behind them. It was a balcony, hidden by immaculate bushes, cut into shapes of pokemon and unnaturally too green. The city planting was nothing like the wild, free weedy land that Wally and I had seen on our way over here. I realized just how much I hated it this in comparison.

I had to get back to him… I had to set this straight. Why was it so hard though? I couldn't figure it out in my head, so I just had to put my eggs in another basket. I turned and peered through the glass doors, looking through the crowds with a nausea rising in my stomach. I couldn't see it at first, but a strange feeling of knowing came.

I blinked once, twice, took off my glasses and narrowed me eyes, put them back on and huffed under my breath before realizing what I was missing. Sapphire was not in her usual attire. She was silk wrapped in a dress of black color and no straps. Hair strewn up in a bun with curled pieces tickling her chin, her face was concealed with makeup as well, flushed an unnatural pink and dotted with sparkles. Her slim shoulders were twinkling as well, and a tiny silver necklace threw rays in the low sunlight. I stared in wonder.

Sapphire hated everything that had to do with what she was doing right now. Her biggest pet peeve was heels for Arceus sake! And oh look, she was wearing fucking heels. She claimed she hated makeup because she always had to wear it for the shows. And that dress she was wearing barely covered her ass—what the hell was she thinking?

But it was not all this that bothered me, it was the fact that it was all this and more. She was not only looking more beautiful than I had ever seen her before, but she was clutching the neck of someone broad and confident. Shoulders back, face framed in such a way that he could whisper in her ear, and the most heart wrenching hand placement. He was gripping her sides, just below her breasts with a tenderness I had never even felt before.

Everything around me seemed to fade as I watched my childhood best friend, my first girlfriend, my world before three weeks ago… laughing and smiling and hugging this guy that looked so much like me (but with better clothes). My heart raced in my chest, and for a moment I felt like everything I had decided on in the last twenty four hours was completely ruined. I wished Sapphire wouldn't have answered the phone when I called her this morning. I wish I would have decided on my own that she really didn't care.

It all would have been less painful than this. My fingers trembled as I set my hand against the chocolate brown wallpaper and used it for support. A swelling grew inside me, and I felt tears starting to rise from what I never thought they would. Sapphire was my rock—my anchor at one point in time, and now…

I took a shaky breath and watched my girl dance with the look-a-like me. She seemed to be having the time of her life, and no matter how much I wanted to go out there and present myself to her—dirty clothes, no hat, scar and glasses—I suddenly found the strength drained from my legs. I gripped the wall for support as the smell of food made my stomach snarl with even more repulsion.

Just when I thought things couldn't get worse Sapphire turned, swirled with the music, and lifted herself onto her tiptoes before my very eyes. I stared, aching with a sharp persistent pain that couldn't be filled by any amount of violence.

Sapphire kissed him. Whoever he was, she kissed him and she enjoyed it. I could tell by the look on her face, as she gave away what was meant to be our moment… that she was utterly thrilled with the feeling.

I was shocked by how much emotions had been stored into me in the last day, and even more surprised by how suddenly it all came rushing out. I ripped the glasses from my face and scrubbed my hand over my eyes quickly before shoving them back on and whirling around. If Sapphire wanted to be with him than fine!

I forced my way out of the restaurant with snarling accusations and threats. No one dared face me head on in such a state of panic and hysteria, so I managed quickly, but found myself stumbling out onto the sidewalk with a sob. I coughed once, shoved against the concrete and started running.

I wasn't sure what I was running from of course, but I was running. Thinking to myself that I had lost everything important to me I called out Cattivo and scrambled on quickly. Bystanders gasped in shock of such a dragon pokemon, but I ignored them completely. The flashes are what bothered me, because cameras had started to show up and news reporters were investigating. I grit my teeth and ordered Cattivo up with a bark.

Tears poured like rain down my face, and it was all I could do to flip off the crowds below. Everyone looked wide eyed and shocked at their favorite run-away handler, but I just added it to my list of more things to drive me crazy. This was why I left this town. This was why I went to Verdanturf and found Wally. This was the driving force that had broken me and Sapphire.

I flipped them off… I flipped them all off as we rose to the sky and hovered above the restaurant. The patio was gazing in shock from below, and a particular pair of wide blue eyes was peering up at me. Whatever compelled me at that moment would surely only cause more problems, but I couldn't control myself. Her lips had touched someone else's right in front of me and I was hurting. I was selfish and hurting and angry.

I flipped her off too, letting my tears fall and drop like rain onto the crowds.

"Let's get out of here Cattivo." I hiccupped and sniveled, feeling far too much like a weak child and hating it. Where did all this come from so suddenly? My girlfriend making out with someone that looked just like me? My best friend in the hospital because of me…

I had to escape, just like the last time when I was pushed to my limits, I had to get the hell out of here before something else went horribly wrong. I steered Flygon in the direction of the mountains beyond the city. I didn't need a lot… just a night to clear my head. Everything would feel batter after a good night's sleep and irrational conversation with myself… right?

It had to work… I had nothing else. Not even Wally could help ease the pain of this particular calamity.


	14. Chapter 14

~Wally~

"Ruby!" I coughed madly, drowning in a sea of people and pokemon alike, whose expressions help nothing but aggravation and scorn. It was as if they were all pitying me, shunning me for my life, jolting be back and forth with silent electric zaps that flew through the air and struck diligently. I could feel something snapping at my feet from below, some strange clinking sound from above, and most importantly a horrific smell of blood and loss.

I watched in peril as the people around me swarmed, losing interest in me and moving on with their lives. Didn't they smell it? Didn't they hear me scream? I wasn't stopping that was for sure… I was only getting louder, begging anyone to help me find Ruby. With a sharp beeping in the back of my skull I was slowly growing faint.

"Ruby…" I rocked on my heels, back and forth and stumbling amongst a crowd. The city people shouted and barked at me with glinting teeth and suddenly bright red eyes. I was so confused… and scared. It was like I could actually see the inner turmoil that all these innocent people had accumulated over years of living with such hate towards one another.

I stormed through the crowds, wiping my teary eyes and rasping. "Ruby… Ruby where are you?"

But there was no answer, and everyone seemed to grow cold and dark. Not a single person let me get by without a hostile glare. Some smiled evilly with large, jutting teeth that stuck out like those of my Salamence's. I was so confused… so confused…

"Wally…"

My name was spoken so softly from somewhere. It danced in the city air and made me shiver. From somewhere beyond my vision I was seeing Ruby's sharp features and gentle disposition. I was hearing his silence, feeling his chatter, and trying to catch my breath as much as I could. One by one as I whirled frantically everyone around me seemed to turn to dust. My hand would brush them, and they would explode into a puff of ash or smog or chemicals. I felt my lungs tighten at all the new smells, and my chest seemed to beg for mercy.

I tried not to hit any of the red eyed city folk, I tried not to get too so close as to come in contact with anyone, but it seemed they all wanted me to stop breathing. Everyone turned in my direction and started touching me, making the trails of soot slither down my skin hotly. Tiny pillows of smoke rose to meet my nostrils and for a moment I was absolutely lost in haze. I could feel a layer of it over my eyeballs for Arceus' sake, and it stung like no one's business.

"RUBY!" I cried, unable to see clearly. "Ru—I cut off in a fit of gasping and heaving. The familiar salt altered smell of blood clogged up my sinuses and before I knew it, I was spewing blood like a faucet would water.

The city space seemed to disappear at that, and the ash covered floor swelled around me, greeted by the hot liquid. I had never had a nosebleed so bad before, and there was no stopping it. The ash rose with the flow of the thick stuff, and my ankles were lapped at. Suddenly, walls closing in, blackness flooded with red dots of forgotten people's pupils glaring down at me, and panic stricken to no end… I found myself drowning in my own blood.

It happened in the blink of an eye, and like the first time, the last time, and every time in between, I clutched at my chest in horror. This was it; this was my blood soaked ashy death that would steal me away from this world. I could only hope that Arceus had thought well of me in my time there.

And then my eyes were snapping open.

I let out a terrified gasp for air, and found it chugging into my lungs almost too quickly. I trembled and shook and stared above me for a long moment at the unfamiliar hospital ceiling. The beeping in the back of my head was no longer a part of my nightmare, but a lifesaving machine telling me that I was still alive.

All was silent aside from that beeping, and even my breaths seemed to calm the dark room. I blinked, found my body at last, and moved to bring my weak arms up to cover my face. The right side moved perfectly fine, but at the feeling of extra weight on my left hand caught me off guard. I strained my eyes from the ceiling and looked beside me.

"I'm still dreaming…" I said under my breath, looking at the shoulders of Ruby, hunched over at my side with his hand strewn across the top of mine. Hurt swelled in my chest and I had to fight a wave of emotions coming over me. This was worse nightmare than drowning in your own blood… and yet I knew I didn't want it to stop. I never wanted to wake up if dreams were where Ruby would stay with me.

I sighed, but was extremely cautious not to move my left hand out from under his. I wasn't sure why—this was my dream—I couldn't wake him up against unless it was part of my thoughts. I rolled to my side and pulled my right hand over me, reached forward to where his head was pressed against the side of my uncomfortable hospital bed. Gently I let my finger play in the short locks of his soot colored hair. He didn't move at first, but once my loving strokes grew too endearing I felt him twitch.

"Ruby…" I whispered to the dream. "I—I'm sorry… I know… I'm not good enough to be in your world. I know I just hold you back. I'm sorry I can't be your Sapphire." The emotions sure felt real in this moment. What a dream I was having… with the light coming in from the slits in the blinds and the beeping machines and the tang of medicine all around me. It was like I was actually there.

And I hurt… not physically but mentally. I had never felt this kind of pain in a dream before. It shook me from the inside out and made me want to break down and cry (which didn't sound too horrible at the moment.)

It was pretty understandable too, for having the day that I did. I was absolutely justified in having a mental breakdown now. If I had been a weaker person, I would have already.

Today I had another attack, and I was taken to this too-clean-too-spot on hospital where I knew no one. I didn't have the slightest clue of whose hands I was in, or who would even try to care about me. It was one of the worst things I have ever experienced… knowing that your doctors don't really care how you are, but rather if they are getting paid for the day. It willed me alive, but shattered more sensitive areas in me.

"Why did you leave me?" I mumbled when my thoughts grew back on track. Hurt and pain and every other emotion I had in me seemed to flounder. It was a needy sensation, something telling me I needed to just let it all out now and get it over with. I could hear the beeping of my heart grow wilder with every breath. I was frantic.

"Ruby—I—I'm scared here alone. I—I don't like the city. I don't belong here—I—I can't—I don't want to—go home—without—

A faint moan came from the body sleeping beside me. I forced myself to stop speaking at the sound, but my breaths hadn't stopped. I got the feeling that I was now turning this dream over to a real nightmare. Surely at any given moment my nose would explode with blood again. I watched as Ruby dragged his head up from my bedside and blinked at me. My hand was still touching the side of his head tenderly.

It was a dream… I could do whatever I wanted… right?

Well I cried. Right there in front of Ruby's face with a stupid oxygen machine ringing tube up to my nose. For once so much air actually hurt in my chest, and I wished that I was back in my small town hospital with familiar faces looking down at me. I hiccupped and rasped and released Ruby with a cough. He just stared down at me, the seven layers of emotional hell across his face. His eyes were very dark, and I could see the redness in his eyes. Suddenly it all just seemed so real to me.

Wake up! Wake up Wally! I ordered to myself. I would rather be alone than let him see me like this!

"Wally…" His voice cracked when he spoke. "Wally I—I'm so sorry."

I turned my eyes away from his and forced it into the hard pillow below me. "I—I—

I couldn't speak…

"Wally…" his voice stung me like a beedrill and I flinched. "Just—I—know it was wrong… I'm so stupid, I'm sorry."

Flustered and embarrassed I ripped the tubes from my nose and threw them at the floor beside me. The machine hissed and squealed with anger in response.

I sobbed into the pillow with horror, thinking that I had to wake up; somehow, someway I would wake up and be back in the field by the lake with Ruby. This whole day just wouldn't have happened and we would be together and happy and I could listen to him sing at night like a songbird. It was a dream… just a dream…

The palm and fingers of a very solid hand gathered itself between my shoulders and the small of my back, it stayed hesitantly for a second, debating on whether or not to ruin my life any more than it already had. Shaking I waited, trying to stop the horribly loud noises I was making. The hand moved, slowly but surely up the length of my back and back down again.

"I—I don't expect you to forgive me." He was strangled with his own grief. "I—I just had to… apologize… I—I will leave now… if… y—you want."

And break my heart more? Why Ruby? Why would I want that? What I wanted was to demand some sense from him. Did he show up here just to make me cry and then leave again? Hysteria was on the line now, and sanity, and my own well being. The hand disappeared off of me and I whimpered.

"N—N—No!" I grit my teeth together and strung myself upwards with as much dignity as I could gather. My hair was greasy and sticking to my wet face. "Don—Don't le—leave m—me." I forced myself to look in his direction.

He was at my bedside, standing with glossy eyes and fighting against it so harshly.

"Thi—this is- isn't a—a—dre—dream?" I whispered. "I—Is i—It?"

Ruby just shook his head, unable to speak with so many emotions in the air. It was thick enough to cut with a knife, silent all but for my ragged breaths and sniffling and my heartbeat. I was faced with the cold hard truth.

This wasn't a dream. I couldn't diagnose my problems as a nightmare that I would wake up from. No—I was faced with the pain in knowing that Ruby—the one person I thought would never turn his back on me—had left me passed out in the hands of strangers. He abandoned me…

He hugged me…

So tight that I thought my ribs were going to snap and my lungs were going to pop. His muscular arms came around my skinny frame and he knelt over the bed in desperation.

"I'm sorry!" he begged, seeing as though I hadn't yet forgiven him, and I wasn't sure I could. His tears felt warm on my shoulder where they fell, and slithering down my back made me loosen. I was shaky, trying to breathe in the regular air that never seemed to affect anyone but me. The smell of Ruby clogged my nose and turned me inside out with dizziness.

He smelt of trees and grass and men's deodorant. I had to wonder where he had been because of that, since last time I saw him was hours ago running through the sweat stinking streets with me hot on his heels.

"Forgive me." He begged. "I—I don't know what happened back there" He dug the balls of his fingers into my back and tightened himself around me, one knee on the bed that I slept in. I shivered as he pressed his hot cheek against my own and a tear drop slithered past. I wasn't sure if it was his or my own, but it was there, wetting the skin of us both in such a way that I couldn't help but melt in response.

My shoulders slumped forward into him until it wasn't him on me, but me embracing him with all my heart. I couldn't help but realize how much I had wanted this since the moment I met him. It was as if he had become my personal Eden in this world of hell I was fighting day after day. Eighteen years of fighting illness and I was just now finding someone else to live for. Not only myself, but for him too. I had already said this once—and it hadn't changed—but I would take a bullet for him.

I just wished he would do the same for me…

More than anything in the world actually. I would spend the rest of my life fighting the air if I could just know that Ruby would truly always be there for me. After what happened today though… how could I know that?

I knew I couldn't, and yet I couldn't find the strength in me to even begin to tell him how I was feelings. Heartbroken… I would take every disease and illness on the planet over this kind of emotional pain. I wasn't good with it, let alone stable enough to handle it. I would crash and burn without Ruby. My world had shifted; it was leaning against him now, like me on his shoulder.

"What do I have to do—to show you that I'm sorry?" Ruby begged.

I wasn't sure what compelled me in that particular moment, while fresh tears swelled under my eyes and slipped across my cheeks, but I pulled back away from him and met his eyes. There was something different about his eyes today… something weaker, more subject to pain. It was like al later of armor had been stripped away from his emotions. He never looked so fragile before.

I just sat there panting at him for a long moment, staring into his eyes and thinking about everything that happened and everything I had been feeling since the moment I met him over two weeks ago. We had been through so much together already… and no doubt I had been playing with ideas in my head for far too long. What I wanted—more than anything else—was to know he cared about me. We made that clear right? But he didn't understand.

This wasn't your run of the mill care that most people held for their friends. This care was far more than that. I wanted him to care about me like he cared about Sapphire—no—more than Sapphire. I wanted him to text me throughout the daytime if I wasn't with him. I wanted him to worry about me and wonder what I was doing. I wanted to see that undying jealousy when I was with anyone else. I just wanted Ruby.

I took one long forced breath and let it out slowly- shaking and gathering myself as best I could. I wiped my arm across my eyes once carefully and then bit my lower lip.

"Ruby—I—I…"

He waited for a second, eyes sagging in hopelessness. "I know." He whispered. "I know you can't forgive me."

I shook my head. "I just want—I—I want—to—

He lifted a his hand from where they fell in his lap and brought it forward, to rest in my space on top of my own. I felt a thunder roll from deep within me and it made my head whirl. His thumb stroked the top of mine, rendering me helpless from all sanity. My heart was running on one hundred percent now, while my normally rational brain was totally fizzed out.

"Kiss me." I blurted unexpectedly, and then—as if to contradict myself—I bit down hard on the insides of my lips and squeezed my eye shut.

Rejection… Here it comes… I almost turned and forced my head into the pillow again, it would be safer that way.

Neither of us spoke for a very painfully long moment, while he contemplated just what the hell was wrong with me. It was as if everything that he ever knew was changing. I could feel it in the awkward silence. Cut the air with a knife why don't you? I hated myself, I hated hated hated that I couldn't control these feelings. Ruby loved Sapphire… not me.

I was so prepared for rejection in that moment that everything seemed to be twisted in a demonic way. My tight lips, his sensitive eyes, my own horrific heartbeat, even my lungs seemed to be twisted out of place. I wondered what I had done wrong, and why? Most importantly why…

It seemed there was a revelation in order for today. Since I was expected one thing with all my heart, and finding it completely different.

Apparently rejection didn't hurt. Apparently rejection was warm and fluttery and softer than I could have imagined. Rejection was not the agony people exclaimed it to be. It was moving, slowly, fluently, kneading on the fleshy walls I put up in defense. Rejection was so scarce actually, that I couldn't realize that it wasn't even rejection I was feeling.

"I—I think you—uhh… have to open—your mouth—to—to kiss, Wally."

My eyes shot open in alarm, and just like that my jaw dropped and my mouth indeed did open, in the shape of a small O. That wasn't rejection just now… that was devotion.

Ruby had the most nervous expression across his face as he leaned into my shock, lifting his hands and holding the sides of my jaw as if it were made of glass about to shatter. I couldn't close my eyes again, so he closed his instead. And the raw taste of lips on lips hit me like a ton of bricks.

Now I knew I was dreaming…

But not really…

Ruby was kissing me… that was all I knew actually. That and that it caused my heartbeat to splutter and spin out of control.

He moved his hands after our lips met, and didn't seem to know what to do with them. Mine were partially in his lap, partially in mine. It was a dead weight I couldn't lift no matter how badly I wanted to grip him by the back of the neck. The blood rushed to my face and I was pushing against him, leaning upwards as he held steady. I almost managed to push out my bottom lip and gather his between my tongue, but he pulled away too quickly, leaving me gasping and shaking.

It was the most awkward, horrible, teeth-clacking-against-teeth kiss the world had probably ever seen. But it was still a kiss none the less, which meant that he would rather stoop to my pathetic level than know I didn't forgive him. Which was horrible. Of course I would have forgiven him… but this… this was better.

My mouth was only merely perched by the time he pulled away—which was only after a second or two—and I realized that I could never master such a technique like he did with only a few seconds. This daunted me. I wanted to tell him to kiss me again—I needed to know how to do it—but he would never go for it.

His face was red as a cheri berry and only growing hotter. He pulled away with a disgusted look on his face, and I was so mortified for all of about a thirtieth of a second, thinking that he was so repulsed by my lack of skill that he was actually regretting it.

Ruby smeared his head across the bottom of his nose and blinked in confusion. My hand instantly snapped up to find the source. Bloody nose…again. Why? Why did this have to happen to me every time?

"Dammit." I moaned in a weak voice as the blood started to flow freely from my face with no sign of stopping. I hung my head and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Sho—should I call a nurse?" Ruby suggested with a small voice. I got the feeling he thought he had a nosebleed at first. And he actually sounded a little relieved, despite that being the most awkward, awful, and conniving make-up kiss I could AND would ever pull… he sounded somewhat better. His tears stopped.

"Na—no!" I held my palm up in a cup shape and threw the sheets off of my legs. I had that thing clipped to my wrist measuring my pulse—which was still rapid— but it snapped right off as I tugged and bounded away, heading for the tiny bathroom in the corner of the room. It was blocked by a single curtain and I was so modest that I actually closed it behind me when I went in.

I coughed and hacked up more blood than I had in a long time, proving that this was by far one of the worst nose bleeds I had ever gotten. I managed a small look at myself in the mirror between hanging my head over the sink.

Despite it all actually I couldn't say I looked too horrible. Just physically like I had been hit by a truck. Which was ok for me. My eyes were bright and wild, and while I stared back at them I realized that this was both so wrong and so right. How could one person hold so much power over me? No one had ever been able to do that before…

And yet he could… And I loved it…

I loved him…

"Are you alright in there?" His voice came to me, and though he was still shaky sounding, I was relieved to find that a certain tone of friendship had returned. I pictured us by the lake in the tall grass, him with his shirt off and me with my nose bleeding. He had laughed so carefree then, and I couldn't see anything else in my head. There was no image of him upset there. Just happiness.

"Ru—Ruby?" I called between breaths and blowing blood out my nose. My heart fluttered as I said his name.

The curtain draw back quickly as if he had been standing behind it. He looked in the mirror at me with another nervous expression. "Yeah…?"

I almost laughed, though I couldn't particularly understand what was so funny. It was either medication or me still coming down off the high he had given me. "Ca—can you get my inhaler?" I asked almost sheepishly.

I watched in the mirror as he rolled his eyes and turned to go find my backpack where the silver item was placed. He knew where it was by now—he seemed to have always known where it was, though I never exactly told him. I heard the zipper of the backpack as I concentrated on my breathing. Air… breathe… in…out.

"Wally!"

I jumped nearly a mile at the sound of him shouting my name.

"What?" I hung myself over the sink and peered around backwards to look at the room. He stood rigid, hands up in what seemed to be a mock surrender. I blinked in confusion.

"You—you have to see this." He squeaked back at me.

"What is it?" I wasn't exactly ready to walk over to him yet. I would leak blood all over the floor.

"The egg…"

"What?"

"The egg!" he whirled to come back to me, grasping the whole backpack in his hands. His face was tinted white with shock—and I realized that could only mean one thing.

"It hatched?" I coughed and pinched my nose tighter. I was silently willing it to stop bleeding. Excitement rose in me. This was the sixth pokemon I had ever hatched and I had absolutely no clue what pokemon it could be.

"Yeah…" he held up the backpack in his arms and drew back largest zipper pocket to reveal the large broken pieces of our blue and black egg. It no longer glittered in certain patches, and looked all around dead.

My eye grew wide with wonder, and I felt suddenly all choked up again. Blood dripping and throat tight I peered down into the depths of my backpack.

Nestled between the egg shell and a jacket I stuffed in the bottom for padding, was a pokemon no bigger than my two hands together. It was tiny and black and making angry little snuffling noises.

What a moment to hatch… right in the middle of all this mess and just in time to make things a whole lot better. A huge stupid grin spread across my face for the first time in what felt like a century. I looked up at Ruby's petrified expression and laughed slightly.

"We—we're parents."


	15. Chapter 15

~Ruby~

I lay, drowning in all the exhaustion from the previous day, my head against the man-eating fluff that was a pillow on a hotel room bed. I wasn't so desperate that I would go back home, and Wally demanded getting out of that hospital as soon as possible, so we ended up in a hotel room for a day just so that I could sleep off all the emotions.

Wally was lying next to me, though not asleep and not touching me while I fought with my heavy eyes, knowing that a defenseless baby was lying on my chest and if I fell asleep I might roll and crush it. I kept debating whether or not to pass it over to Wally, but I was dreading the high pitched hiss it would make in response.

Not moments after the little slime ball hatched from that egg, it somehow chose me to be its mother. Not Wally, who had loved it, kept it safe, and wanted so badly to take care of it. No, the thing had to go and choose me—probably because I was the first person it laid eyes on. And to make thing worse, I was actually a little disgusted with it—that is—until I got to hold it.

I never understood those "daddy's little girl" feelings because I had never felt them before, but when this tiny Sableye had turned its sightless eye sockets up to meet mine, and crooned a comforting kind of sound, I fell in love with her instantly.

She was black as the night right now, with no markings or gems to give her the definition that made its species a Sableye at all. She was more or less a scraggly squirm ball with a head too big for her body, but I couldn't picture anything more perfect. She had a tiny mouth lined with nubby teeth that could chew through nearly anything, and little claws that I knew would draw blood someday when she knew how to use them.

The funny part was… she was even more obsessed with me than I was with her. She hadn't let me put her down since I picked her up the first time. And to my great amusement, if Wally even tried to touch her she would wail and hiss. Her attitude was already something crossed between my pokemon Cattivo and Biz. She obviously was protective like my Mighteyena, and intelligent like my Flygon. She would fit right in with my team, though her being female would badly outnumber the boys. Poor Cattivo and Heartbreak would be feeling fatigued with the lack of testosterone.

"Let me see Sableye." Wally murmured suddenly, looking over at me and holding his arm out.

"Midnight." I corrected for the eighth time. "Her name is Midnight."

I was so exhausted though that I didn't care enough to argue with him. It was bad enough I couldn't look him in the eyes after what he made me do at five this morning, I didn't need any more reason to avoid him. With a sigh I plucked the sleeping pokemon gently from my chest and turned to hand her over. She fit easily in the palms of my hands, but was heavier than I thought possible.

Wally reached out to take the pokemon from me, his slender hands gentle and slow moving. He didn't want to wake her either. I watched carefully with narrowed, sleepy eyes until she was settled into the sheets next to Wally. I guessed he wouldn't put her on his chest like I did because of his random coughing fits.

"See… she will like me." He whispered in a sad tone, knowing that the only reason he got away with it was because she was asleep.

"Mmmn…" I answered dully, still hiding my eyes from his. I had done a very good job blocking out what happened this morning and I wasn't about to let those pale blue irises ruin it for me. I was just happy we were friends again.

Though it was a nagging question in the back of my mind… why of all things...? Kissing? He wanted me to kiss him to show him that I still cared. It had made zero sense to me no matter which way I looked at it. The only thing I could think of was that he was so pissed off that he decided torture would be the best way to get back at me.

But torture wouldn't have been so… so—awkward… It would have been much worse if he would have seriously kissed me—tongue and all like in movies—but he hadn't. He had been frozen to my touch, and I actually felt somewhat unsure of myself because of that. I wasn't a bad kisser was I? Sure it had been my first real kiss… but never once had I thought I would be bad at it. Maybe it went along with having millions of fangirls begging for kisses—but I just never pictured it. Was it possibly for someone like me NOT to be good at kissing?

I didn't know why I was so paranoid about this anyways, it's not like Wally was phenomenal at it or anything. The guy hadn't even been able to breathe and I had to remind him that kissing involved opening your mouth. I had nothing to prove… so why should it be a problem?

Under any other circumstances I would have denied Wally his solitary little want, but after all the hell I put him through I knew I couldn't. There had been a very short split second where I almost laughed at him for even asking, but then I had caught a glimpse of his eyes as he turned his head and bit his lips. I wasn't going to laugh at him if it really meant that much to him—Arceus knows why.

And… I had been able to see it on his face so clearly. He was absolutely shocked when I agreed and moved in to kiss him. He had looked like a deerling caught in a pair of headlights to say the least, as if he wasn't expecting it at all despite him asking for it.

And then when we did kiss… well… that was something I wasn't sure I could think back to yet. I was absolutely scared silly with the idea that I did enjoy it, and that all rational reasons were pointing towards not enjoying it. I kept thinking that maybe—had I not seen Sapphire kissing that look-alike today—I was just wounded and in need of some stability. How stupid had I been to think that even for a second Wally couldn't give me that…

He had been falling apart right in front of me, and somehow he was the one making me feel better about myself. By pure accident had he taken the pain of Sapphire away for a moment, and replaced it with something much more loving. I appreciated the way we could hug without being awkward with each other, and the way he had no shame in his nosebleeds around me. You would think most people in that situation would beg for mercy and tell you to leave so you couldn't watch their embarrassment.

"Ruby…?" his gentle whisper stole my thoughts from my head and my lids from over my eyes. I blinked up drowsily, not really seeing anything but reeling them over to his direction.

"What?" I asked, turning to my side and forcing myself to look at him. My eyes focused in on his skinny lips and soft jaw line. Despite his eyes being the most vibrant they had ever been, I had to avoid them.

"A—are you going back to your studio later?" he asked, his voice cracking with heartache.

I blinked in confusion. What did he mean was I going? It didn't make much sense to me at first, until I reminded myself that he had been brought to the hospital from that place. He himself had called it wretched earlier. Of course he didn't want to go back there.

"Well… I—I should… see my mother." I wasn't sure yet if I wanted to talk with Sapphire after that episode or not. She had seen my flying away with Cattivo and I assumed she would have some tongue lashing to do for me ruining her date, but I also knew I would have to face her eventually. Getting it over with was the right thing to do…

"Oh." Was all Wally said, and he looked back up at the gray ceiling as if it was suddenly interesting. I watched hurt cloud his gaze.

"And I should still talk to Sapphire… But…" I wanted to slap myself. What was I thinking? Wally would just feel like I was going to leave him again. He was already scared shitless of the air he was breathing. And I promised that I wouldn't do that to him again.

"But what?" He asked, a small hint of anger in his tone.

"But I want you to come with me…" I admitted softly, feeling a horrible heat rise to my face. What was wrong with me? "Or else I won't go at all…"

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, thinking about what I said obviously severely. The awkward silence was dragged on until I yawned purposefully to break it. That yawn sent me into another real one that made my eyes water.

"I—I don't know Ruby." Wally admitted at last, mimicking my yawn. "Just go to sleep… ok? I'll think about it."

I sighed. Obviously he was still a little regretful about what I did to him. And he had every right to be. I wished I could take it all back. I should have never done what I did to him, I knew that, but that wasn't enough. Sadly I moved my arm and reached across the length of the bed between, stretching out my fingers to touch the silky smooth skin of Midnight. She was twitching slightly, perhaps realizing that the body she was pressed up against wasn't mine.

I glanced over, not realizing at first, and doing a double take as something curled around my thumb. My face burned in shock. Wally's hand was laid across the top of Midnight, and it surely wasn't her I was touching. I swallowed, hating the accident and getting lost in those pale eyes of his. He smiled softly at me, lovingly, and I bit my lip in response. Wally thought I was trying to hold his hand. Of course he did… great… just great.

I couldn't possibly pull away now either, the disappointment would be too much. Shocked as I was I managed not to flinch as his submissive hand curled into the strong shape of mine. I stifled another sigh and tore my eyes from his.

It's not… too horrible… I thought to myself. Wally's hand was delicate and soft, with lean fingers. He had somewhat slender wrists, and I didn't miss the way his thumb hugged mine.

With a lulling slowness I slipped my fingers between his and turned my face away so he couldn't look at me. What was this? I had never known a friendship like the one I had with him. Even Sapphire wasn't this effective.

It couldn't be that I was…?

No. I loved Sapphire. I snorted under my breath and pushed my face into the pillow, forcing myself to think about the way it made me feel to see her kissing someone else. I would get back to her… soon. I had to do something to make things go back to normal.

Wally squeezed my hand gently at the sound of my discomfort.

As normal as they could be that is… with Wally here.


	16. Chapter 16

~Ruby~

Wally had so simple put it to term that, he wanted me to go, but he didn't want to go. And I hated the fact that his rationality had made the decision for me. Wally was wholesome and good, there wasn't a single bad cell in his body, and I couldn't bring myself to dent that. He was right when he told me that I should make up with the people I left before, and I couldn't help but wonder if he was thinking about their feelings as much as his own. After all, he had felt the pain.

It still killed me though… to know that we had taken such a far step back in our friendship that he didn't want to come with me and be that silent force driving me forward to do what I knew I had to do. I felt like I was missing my right arm without him, and it pained me to know I had gotten that reliant in the first place.

Even so, I couldn't question him at all. It was his choice to stay in the hotel room while I put myself out into the camera filled paparazzi world that would engulf and consume me. He had every right to want nothing to do with those people. I didn't blame him, but I knew he was lying when he said it was because of his breathing.

If there was one thing in this world that Wally refused to let get in his way, it was his breathing. There was another reason. Fear, hurt, fatigue, whatever it was something made him not want to come with me. And I have to admit it hurt my feelings more than it should have. I left without a word, blaming it on not wanting Midnight to wake up from my voice. When in reality I was just butthurt.

Almost immediately as I faced the outside world, wearing my show attire complete with my hat—which was my image around here—I let Biz out of her pokeball. She herself was no preppy show pokemon, but she made one hell of a guard. Fans kept their distance when she barred her sharp teeth, and that was all I could ask for.

"Good girl." I let my gloved hand ruffle the tuffs of fur behind her ears. She snorted and narrowed her eyes deviously at me. Most faithful pokemon I knew, and yet she was an absolute menace to anyone else. She let out a low rumble in the back of her throat, accepting my praise with dignity.

"I think I might have to keep you out in the studio too." I said to her, which made her ears turn up in surprise. "The people in there might not be too happy…"

She lashed her tail as if to say "they wouldn't dare". I smirked in response, ignoring the distant calls of my name and trying not to flinch.

When I had originally left this town I couldn't stand the sound of my own name, I had cringed every time it was said. But after a week or so on my own, and after only being with Wally for some time I had gotten used to the way it sounded normally. There was no harm in the way he said it, so it never fazed me, but the antagonizing sounds of the crowds reminded me just how much I hated it again.

We approached the back entrance of the studio slowly, unlike yesterday when I had hauled ass past the guards before they even knew what was going on. It was a long walk across the cement courtyard this time, with the sun pouring down on me and making me shudder with unwelcomed warmth.

"Good to see you boy." The guard shot me a beaming look. I knew just about everyone around here and it was him that I was most happy to see guarding the door. He had it out for me from day one, claiming that I was the most aggressive and therefore most impressive performer we had ever had. I just assumed it was because he was never needed to protect me like other famous kids in the past.

Biz snarled at him and flattened her ears against her head menacingly.

I put my hand on her hand and pushed her a step back. "Same to you." I said politely as he unlocked the back door and gripped the smoldering silver doorknob. "I—Is it safe for me in there?" I asked cautiously.

"Safe?" He chortled. "Boy a couple weeks wouldn't change the fact that you have them all wrapped around your finger. Not to mention they are all dying to know just what happened yesterday with the paramedics. Your mother is frantic of course, that can't be helped. And your managers are livid—but that's no different than before you left—and well… your fans will be thrilled. You don't have much to worry about."

"Thanks… what about Sapphire?" I had to ask. "Is she here?"

"She better be here!" he rolled his dark brown eyes. "Did you forget they do shows on Fridays?"

"Oh… Arceus. No." I shook my head, rubbing my eye with my palm harshly as if to rub a headache away. "I didn't forget… I just wasn't sure."

"Sapphire will be happy to have you back Ruby." He added as I pushed my way into the doorway. I looked back at him. What did he know? He was crazy to think that Sapphire could possibly be happy to see me, let alone be with me. I shook my head sadly.

"Oh yeah." The guard nodded in his middle age, as if wisdom was enough to convince me. I didn't want to sound like a cocky teenager, but what did he know about our relationship?

"That new boy they have around here." He went on. "They turned him and Sapphire into a pair—for the show of course—and she may act like she likes him and everything… but I'll tell you boy, all she really wants is you."

I swallowed hard and nodded, trying not to let my fear show as weakness to Biz. She would jump at the guard if she thought it was his fault. I leaned down and gripped her by the collar tightly, mumbling a heartfelt thank you as I turned and fled into the black corridor that lead upwards into a studio. This was the hallway that Wally had passed out in. The memory made my insides stir uncomfortably.

"I hope this goes well…" I murmured half to myself, half to Biz, who had her side pressed up against my leg. She was sniffing the air cautiously for approaching people. I could hear feet at the end of the hall, which meant people were busy on the stairs that lead up to the studio. I could see a nostalgic light coming from there. My heart fluttered, but not in a good way.

My breath seemed to be short as I pushed forward, closing my eyes and forcing myself not to look at the side door that would lead to the basement where me and Sapphire used to hang out. My heart ached as I came close to it, and swelled when I met it.

"Brendan?"

I had only just passed the door when I heard that voice. With a jolt I gripped Biz's muzzle between my hands and insisted she be quite. She growled softly at me.

"Brendan is that you?" Sapphire called again from down in the basement. My heart was racing in my chest.

Sh—she took someone else down there with her? Something crackled and popped inside me like a firecracker. I was hurt; extremely hurt that should would put something of ours out for someone else to see. That leaky, cold, damp basement was where we grew together. And it wasn't even the fact that she was bringing—I assumed—another boyfriend down there, it was the fact that she was bringing another friend down there at all. As her best friend I thought she would have at least enough respect for me…

I pulled out Biz's pokeball and called her back quickly. The white flash made the stairs visible for a second and I knew Sapphire saw it.

"Brendan?" she called again, this time sounding a little fearful. Since when was she fearful?

I took a deep breath and approached the skinny doorway with my hand on the cool railing. My footsteps echoed too loudly.

"Brendan knock it off!" Sapphire demanded, thinking that this was some cheap trick to scare her in the low light.

"Sapphire." I forced her name out of my mouth and took the last few steps as slowly as possible. There was no answer, so I knew she new.

Bring on the fighting; bring on the water works… I knew it was coming anyways. I stared at the cement floor before I stepped down onto it. There were no windows to let in real light, so all I could see was the items illuminated around a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling. I blinked, shoulder down in defeat.

"Ru—Ruby?" she whispered. "Oh Ruby…"

At that I had to look up, to see her expression just as defeated as my own. Her ocean eyes were dull and she was wearing her usual lazy clothes. That included her favorite pair of gray shorts and a big tshirt. I stared at the awkward lettering up the side of the shirt and on the sleeve. My eyes narrowed.

"I like your shirt." I commented, somehow finding that old devious voice. It was blatant though, and caught in my throat. I wondered if Wally ever felt that way about his words. Surely with the problems he had they would be tight as well?

"It's your shirt, stupid." She bit her lower lip and crossed her arms.

"Sapphire listen—I

"No. Ruby its just—

"I couldn't—

"I didn't get the chance—

"Ruby—

"Sapph—

"I'm sorry…" we both begged to each other at the same time. A terrible dead silence broke between us, and even the dripping pipes in the corner seemed to stop. I looked away, she looked away, none of us dared question each other. We both had apologies to say, and in any other situation it wouldn't have resulted like this. Normally once the words "I'm sorry" came out of our mouths we would move on with our lives and be happy again.

But things were different now. She had someone knew—Brendan apparently—and I had my sights set on a different path.

"Ruby… I—I don't want to talk about it." She insisted, as if I was the one that had tried to speak.

"We have to." I declared. I had spent too much time telling myself that we had to talk to get over this, that now I knew no other option. Sapphire couldn't live her life closed up and angry at people trying to soften her. And I couldn't live my life with this guilt on my shoulders.

"No." She shook her head. "I'm sorry isn't that enough?"

I shook my head. "No… Ok. I'll go first. How about that?" I suggested as carefully as I could, moving from my place in front of the basement opening. I hoped she wouldn't try to escape because of that, but I also found it hard to see her face, and seeing her face was a crucial part in getting her to open up.

She watched me like a cautious pokemon would its predator, waiting until I had strode over to the twisting web of pipes against the far wall. There was an old television on a rolling stand shoved into the corner from when we were younger and used to play gamecube together. I smiled sadly up at it.

"Come sit down over here." I took a deep breath and settled myself on a large electrical box. It wasn't dangerous for us of course; everything in here was sue-proof because the business was so cheap that they refused to pay for people potentially getting hurt.

"Ruby." She gave me a look of distaste.

"Come on." I putted the sot next to me. "I want to tell you everything."

She rolled her eyes, muttering "Fine."

I waited until she had settled herself next to me, stiff as a board but closer than we had been in a very long time. I wanted to reach out and take her hand in mine, but I knew she would slap me silly if I dared.

"Well… you know… why I left right?" I began. "And you know I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it, or where I was going. That's done and over with right?"

"No." she glared. "I said I was sorry, not that I forgive you."

"Don't be like that." I shook my head at her. "You know you forgive me, you just don't want to admit it."

"No!" she insisted in a grave tone. "Do you realize how we all fell apart when you left? We had to shut the contests down for a week. We had to find a replacement and the fans hate him. The managers are losing money and your own mother quit!"

I couldn't believe me ears. MY mother? NO way she just quit her job because of me. She wasn't just my manager she was Sapphires too. She had done just as much for the both of us for as long as I could remember. Sapphire had been like the daughter my mom always wanted, how could she just let her down like that?

"She quit?" I asked in disbelief. "How? Why? This is everything she ever wanted and she just… let that go?"

"Because of you!" Sapphire shook her head. "All this time Ruby… All this time I was thinking that your mom was the glue that held us all together, but she wasn't. It was you."

"I'm sorry!" I insisted, fighting the urge to tell her just how long I suffered for the good of everyone else. My mother had denied my desperate pleas for help when I wanted to quit contests. She had told me over and over again for nearly three months that I wasn't her son if I was going to quit, and then she went ahead and did just that.

"Sorry isn't good enough!" Sapphire kicked her heels against the electrical box and stood up shaking madly. I could barely see her face in the dark basement, but I knew exactly where she was.

"Sapphire!" I jumped down and pushed myself in front of her. I could easily block to entrance leading up into the corridor, and knowing that it angered her. She balled up her hands into fists and gnashed her teeth together.

"No one else around here knows what they are doing Ruby!" She shoved me slightly. "I hate you for what you did! Did you ever once think about what it was like for me to have to work with someone else? Do you know how many people think it's my fault you left? The fans love YOU! I've always just been second best and now they are taking your side because you're gone and Brendan's here!" I saw her eyes flash in hatred. "Do you think I like having to work with someone so hated? It makes everyone hate me too!"

"Oh I know exactly how much you like working with him!" I gripped her by the wrist and whirled her around so that she was facing me and not the stairs. "I know how much you like working with his tongue! And what else is there huh? Do you like working with his dick too?!"

"Don't touch me!" She snarled and ripped herself away from me. She acted as if it was abuse. Had she forgotten how many time I used to whirl her around when she went the wrong way. It used to be a playful jab at our friendship, now she acted as if I had just hit her.

She that's what she did in return. She yanked her hand up and laid a hard slap against the side of my face. I groaned and drew back, remembering the first, the second, and the third time she had slapped me out of anger. This wasn't exactly an odd thing for her, though this time it was much harder.

"I saw you with him Sapphire!" I laid a hand on my stinging cheek. "I know you went to OUR restaurant, I know you were kissing him! I saw you! And you're going to stand here and tell me that you don't like him?! You're full of shit!"

"I HATE HIM!" she shoved me again, this time weaker, leaning into me as if she was going to fall over. Her voice echoed up through the staircase and out into the corridor with a bang. I held her steady as she began to cry, thinking that this was much worse than I had thought it could be.

"I hate him because of you." She whimpered, pulling her hands up and wiping her face. "Because he is just like you… but he's not you! Ruby…"

Hesitantly I wrapped my arms around her back and hugged her. It was the first time we had hugged since that night out by the abandoned truck where Wally passed out. I shivered as she melted into me, clutching at my shirt.

"Ruby I want you…" she admitted in a whisper. "It's bad enough that I have to be second best… I don't want to date second best too."

"Then break up with him." I said, as if the answer was so obvious it was brilliant.

"I—I can't." She pulled her face up to meet my gaze. I felt strangely taller than I had been last time with her, and it made me wonder if I had grown in the last two weeks. Maybe I wasn't physically taller at all… but I felt taller, stronger. I may have grown mentally and emotionally. I felt like I knew who I was, while Sapphire was still stuck in her shrinking character developed only by everyone else.

"Why?" I asked almost rudely.

"Because I signed a contract." She shook her head at herself. "I was so stupid… I—I let them make a couple out of me and Brendan… and I can't back out."

My heart sank. Thankfully in the time span of my whole life I managed to avoid signing contracts like that. Never would I let anyone have control over me as a character. They could tell me what to do, but the moment they took away who I was… that was when it stopped. Part of me felt bad for Sapphire for having gone through with that, but another side of me knew it was her stupid mistake. She should have known better.

"Well… y—you don't have to be with him… outside of the shows… do you?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Then don't." I pulled my hand up and touched under her chin, lifting it so that she was looking into my eyes.

Her eyes were not the pale, soft blue that Wally's were. They were ferocious and needy, and she had high arched eyebrows with high cheekbones. Her jaw was acute but sharp for a girl, and everything about her screamed for a double take. Sapphire was beautiful. So beautiful that she didn't need fame to make people notice her. She could walk down the street regardless of her performing and people would watch her go. They would notice the way her hips swung, or the way her shoulders fell and curved. She wasn't a forgettable face, and this was one of those ridiculous moments where I felt rendered helpless by her.

And yet, as she stood there, leaning upwards to me, all I could picture were soft pale eyes. For a second I thought for sure Wally would come tumbling down the stairs in need of CPR again. I hesitated—but so did she so it was ok—and took long sweeping breaths.

This girl had gone from me to Brendan in a matter of a week and I wasn't sure yet if I forgave her for that, but knowing she didn't exactly have a choice after she signed the contract—though it was her fault—made things seem slightly better. She obviously was regretting her decision, so who was to say I shouldn't be regretting mine?

I had blocked all those strange, sizzling emotions from my mind until now. And while she smashed her impatient lips into mine and tore at the opening that was my mouth, I was struck with the hunger and memory of such delicate lips before hers. She was gnawing on my lower lip, trying to ravish me in every way she possibly could, and all I could think about was the electric currents zipping through my memory.

Sapphire did not cause me to shake with innocent ecstasy, even with her breasts pressed against mine and her hands gripping under my shirt, clawing like an animal at the muscles of my stomach. I gasped and shivered, drew my mouth in tightly to hers and injected a defense. My tongue collided so harshly with hers, that I knew this couldn't be passion. For a second between my frantic brain I let rationality seep in.

Sapphire was desperate, hungry, looking for a kind of high that I just couldn't give her. I wasn't even a good kisser remember? My tongue was hot with hers and between her breath blowing past my teeth I could feel a wave of built up saliva. It coated our lips while she played at the start of my chest, reaching upwards, trying to get what little bit she could without breaking the kiss.

I couldn't help but wonder if this was what a first kiss was supposed to be like, since I had convinced myself that mine and Wally's kiss wasn't right at all. I figured that if someone had to ask you to kiss them—let alone to make up for something you did—it wasn't even considered a kiss. That sounded more like business to me than anything.

And this kiss was so painfully lustrous that I actually felt nauseated. Anyone else in the world would have jumped on the chance Sapphire was giving me, and yet I felt absolutely miserable. My stomach churned with angry butterfree—nothing like the soft fluttering that Wally had given me, and suddenly, despite the pain I would cause, I knew I just had to break away. I started fighting against her, quickening the pace and hoping that she would break away herself.

Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, she took my hastiness as welcoming, and her tongue slid further past my lower lip. I quivered and gripped her shoulders tightly. Im sorry Sapphire—I—I just—

"HEY!"

Sapphire shoved against me with all her might, dislodging our faces from the saliva covered connection. She wiped her face, breathing heavily and clutching at her chest. I watched her step away from me, acting as if she was going to leave the room, but finding herself face to face with her coworker Brendan.

I blinked in shock as his rage filled attention was turned to her, and despite my inner protection rising, I knew that this was not going to end well.

"Sapphire! What the fuck?!" He snarled in a voice much heftier than my own. I wondered briefly how he could compare himself to me. Sure we wore the same clothes and had the same hairstyle and features, but he was nothing but a copy. My eyes narrowed and I pushed away, walking in the shadows of the basement walls while he had his attention drawn to her.

I shouldn't have been so insensitive, I really shouldn't have, but the taste of Sapphire was still in my mouth and I couldn't understand what I didn't like about it. So I turned and fled with the very chance I got, taking the stairs two at a time with Brendan whirled around in shock.

"HEY!" he screamed up at me while I made my escape.

"Ruby!" Sapphire snarled, knowing that this was yet again one of my flighty attempts at preservation. But hey, this time I was justified. Sapphire just attempted rape.

The sound of my feet mimicked me as Brendan flew up the stairs after me, howling in rage about "his girl". It was all actually pretty funny, in a morbid kind of way. I just ditched Sapphire for the second time because of a kiss.

"Ruby!" I heard her voice once again as I reached the top step and appeared at the top of the staircase. I glanced back, unable to see in the dark but knowing that Brendan was only a few paces behind me. His snarling came loud and hard. I took the corner sharply to the left, turning to go back out into the broad daylight that would blind me. Escape now; see my mother later, figure out what to tell Sapphire in the very far future. That was my plan.

All until I was colliding with a lean figure, and head butting them on accident with the impact of my run. They gasped and drew back, like I did, but only the sound of their gasp was much more familiar than I expected.

"Ruby?" his voice came in fright as he turned and stumbled back the way I was headed.

"Go!" I yelled, fighting an ache in my head and the look-alike on my heels. Of all times, not now Wally! He started running ahead of me.

"Why are we running?!" Wally wailed back at me.

"It doesn't matter! Just go!" I was fighting a sudden deviance, the desire to show second best just who he was trying to be. Brendan could never master such skill. He may be a pretty boy like me, but he was no fighter.

"Salamence!" I yelled to Wally as we bust through the back entrance and into the quad area. Cattivo was too lean to carry us both, and flying through the city with two giant dragons would be a bad idea."Salamence now!" I repeated harshly.

"Altaria!" Brendan's husky voice bellowed after us as we darted through the quad ignoring the sudden yelling from the guards. Film crew were starting to appear for the usual Friday broadcasting, so the cameras all instantly turned on us.

Not a moment too soon a burst of roaring white light exploded in front of us. Salamence bayed into the sky and stomped his feet in excitement. I reached him first, having picked up speed now that we were outside, and I climbed up onto the back of his neck before turning and reached out for Wally's hand. He was panting heavily already.

"Hold on!" I hauled him up behind me on his dragon and then kicked my feet hard into its shoulders. "Let's go!" I yelled to the pokemon.

But this was only the beginning of what would become one high-speed hell of a chase.


	17. Chapter 17

~Wally~

"Salamence!" I wailed as a huge frothing ball of pink and green and orange struck the back end of my pokemon as we hauled into the air. He was too slow to outrun an Altaria, I knew this, and expected Ruby to as well. So why was he running? We could easily turn and fight it.

Salamence howled in pain but managed to get his wings up and his heavy legs off the ground.

"Ruby!" I threw my arms around his middle and hugged him tightly, trying not to let my shortness of breath stop me from speaking. "What are you doing!?"

I hadn't exactly gotten to see the whole fiasco in the making; I had only just gotten there when things started to spiral out of control.

Having felt so terribly guilty for making Ruby go alone earlier, I forced myself to get out of that empty hotel room and go after him. I thought I might be able to catch up before he reached the studio, but I couldn't remember exactly which way went where so I ended up lost for ten minutes. And of course no one on these city streets had the time to stop and give directions. How humiliating, didn't anyone realize how terrible they had made each other? Had this been my town someone would have sprung on the chance to help someone. But apparently Arceus forbid it here.

It took me longer than I expected to find the studio, and then to walk around the back side—the place was much larger than it looked—let alone convince the guard that I had to find Ruby. He knew that he had just gone in, but he wasn't happy with the truth in my voice. I wasn't lying about being his friend—not a fan—and he knew it, but he didn't like it. He let me in after stinging reluctance.

It was inside that dark cement corridor that I thought I had found Ruby, having seen nothing but a broad figure walking at the end of the hall. I blinked in surprise, trying to see straight while ignoring the lack of air in my lungs. I kept asking myself how anyone could stand it in here.

"Ruby!" I had called to the figure with relief, only to find that it wasn't in fact him.

The broad figure approached me with a hastiness, and as I came up to an opening in the wall—a stairway—he shoved me with enough force to send me hurling backwards. He yelled something about getting out of his way, but I wasn't even in his way.

"Hey!" I demanded of him, but he was already gone and heading down the stairs into what seemed to be a basement. My backside throbbed painfully as I clutched at the flat rough wall. "Who do you think you are?!" I yelled back down into the darkness, thinking that if these city people got any more impolite I would go crazy. There was no way he had heard me though, because he was yelling himself.

I heard him snarl something at Sapphire, who I realized was down in the basement with Ruby, and though he had knocked me down I couldn't help but be happy he tore the two apart. I didn't want to think about what Ruby was doing with Sapphire down there…

The silent thanks lasted all of a second until feet were storming back up at me, bursting through the stairway and bearing right in my direction. This time it was not the broad figure of Brendan that hit me, it was Ruby.

And that was when we had turned and tore through the corridor back out into the bright lighted world. I didn't understand the rushing, or the fleeing by any means. Wouldn't Ruby want to fight instead of run? It didn't matter, since he was demanding of Salamence in that very instant and hauling me up behind him on MY pokemon the next. I could only gather myself enough to remember all this tragedy as we took off into the sky, a very furious Altaria on our tail.

"We're taking them on the ride of their life!" Ruby turned and glanced behind him as the bird pokemon turned and tried to launch another attack. I could see clearly the dragon's breath rising in its throat. My heart lurched and naturally I was hiding my face between two thick shoulder blades.

I could hear the sound of something whir by us, and the many sounds of shocked pedestrians and maybe even a couple pokemon as it landed and crackled furiously. I grit my teeth together, clawing at Ruby's chest with fear. My heart was racing and it was physically impossible to focus on breathing when you were in such a state.

"You ok?!" He called back to me, feeling my hands tighten around him.

I shook my head, though somehow managed to peek up at him. His strong face was turned back as he steered my pokemon forward faster and faster until we were flying with nearly as much grace as his Flygon could. He had one hand up to grip his hat, trying to keep it on his head while the wind threatened to tear it off. Stupid boy! Of all things you're worried about your hat?

I fought to dislodge a hand from around him, but managed to pluck his hat off his head for him and stuff it between us. His soot hair blew back instantly, revealing that brilliant scar across the left side of his forehead. I blinked in amazement and wrapped myself tighter around him.

"You're crazy!" I yelled between a cough. But I love you anyways…

"Is it gaining on us?" He ignored my jab, straining around to look with difficulty. He was even crazier if he thought I was going to look back.

As if to answer him though, another blast knocked us off track, and my snorting bellowing pokemon tipped us sideways and clipped his wing against the side of a large apartment building. A window shattered and sprayed back up at us as he flapped vigorously to get back on track.

"Shit." Ruby muttered, pushing hard against one of my pokemon's wings in attempts to get it to turn further. We did, and narrowly avoided another building. Fire sprung up behind us again, and I felt absolutely miserable.

"It's going to destroy the city!" I wailed to Ruby.

"Why do you think I'm leading it away!?"

I grit my teeth together, seeing the strong way his jaw moved when he yelled, and the way his shoulders rolled with his movements. Had he not been there for me to hold onto, I would have slipped off, limp with desire. I could see myself hurdling down towards the cit ground in satisfaction. The only thing better than letting Ruby's body and determination woo me was knowing that in this particular moment I could press myself to him and make it look like a reflex reaction.

Through the utter mayhem around us, my pained pokemon under us, and the glaringly thick air above us I found myself basking in his glory. It was almost too much to take in, with the sun beating down on his face. Embers flew through the air, dancing to the beat of people squealing in shock, some fluttering up towards a huge helicopter. There was nothing more amazing than him in this setting. Like a movie star in their lead role, only better.

He was strong, and fearless and much more than I could have ever asked for. Through years of wondering if I was even fit to live on this planet, wondering when exactly my numbered day would come to an end, and then realizing it didn't matter… I found that some of life's finest are in the emotions we hold. And the way Ruby made me feel… I would take a hundred years of bloody noses and lack of air for him. It was like suddenly I realized that Ruby was all I ever wanted.

My heart thudded quickly with wanting as I thought about what he could have possibly been doing in the basement of that studio with Sapphire. Of course there weren't that many options—though some much worse than other—I knew he had to have been making up with her.

Had Sapphire asked him to kiss her as well? That was my tactic in clearing the air with Ruby… who was to say she didn't do the same thing? I flinched at the thought, trying to dismiss the obvious but finding it much harder than I thought possible.

"Ruby!" I yelled to him, finding a sudden burst of confidence.

"What?" Ruby yelled back, distracted with our maneuvering. Salamence was screaming with frustration. He wanted to turn and fight, that was his instinct, but Ruby wouldn't let him. He was yelling commands at my dragon with a sharp demanding voice. I was actually surprised that he was listening.

"Did you kiss her!?" I yelled, pressing my cheek against his back and hoping he wouldn't take it as fear. I just wanted to be closer to him… I just wanted him to be closer to me.

"What?" I barely heard him but the confusion in his voice was real as we tore through the streets of the city, heading in the direction of the mountains while we could. I didn't understand why he wouldn't take Salamence higher where he could fly without clipping his wings on buildings and lampposts.

"DID. You. Kiss her?!" I yelled over the wind. "Sapphire! Did you?"

"Uhh—Not the time Wally!" he dismissed in a shrill voice.

"YOU DID!?"

"NO!"

"YES YOU DID!" I wailed. It was so stupid of me to think that Ruby was trying to hurt me like this; he had every right to kiss whoever he wanted to kiss. It wasn't as if the two of us were together—no matter how badly I wanted that—he didn't have to justify himself to me. Jealousy and anger made me dig my nails into his shirt harder.

"Wally!" he barked at my sudden outburst. I didn't consider myself to have much of temper, but this struck a nerve for some reason, and I absolutely mortified at the thought of his tender lips touching anyone else's. Why was I being so possessive?

I hid my face in his back as we veered left and then right too quickly. Screams filled our ears as Salamence flipped sideways and shoved off the side of a building with his hind legs. Claws left giant gashes in the cinderblock and metal piping sprung horribly leaks. A moment later there was sparks and smoke and people rushing by from all directions. This was inhumane, my dragon alone could destroy this whole city, and here we were leading another one to do the same!

"Do you love her!?" I yelled to Ruby, ignoring the destruction we were causing. Hundreds of lives could have been ruined by our chaos and all I was concerned with was Ruby loving Sapphire.

"Not now Wally!" Ruby grunted and started to slide forward on my pokemon's neck. He dragged me along with him and reached up to grip the red plates on the back of his head. He held as tightly as he could. "Faster Salamence!"

My pokemon can't go any faster! I wanted to tell him but it was hard enough to think rationally. Did Ruby love Sapphire? I had been under that impression for so long… but did he? I wanted to second guess myself as much as I could.

That day out by the lake… when Ruby taught me how to surf with my pokemon… him, powerful, laughing, cheerful… perfection at its best.

I wanted to cry at the memory. If he loved Sapphire that's all it would be… a memory. Because there was no way I would stick around in this city just to be heartbroken. I had already decided that if he did love Sapphire I would be going back home to Verdanturf without him. I was strong… I knew I didn't need him to live my life, but it pained me and burnt like a rod iron fence in the middle of summer to think about him not being there. There would be blisters on my heart.

"Ruby!" I straightened myself up and pushed my face into the back of his neck rather than between his shoulder blades.

"WHAT?" he snapped, perhaps thinking about shaking me off. I begged Arceus he wouldn't put me through this kind of rejection. I had seen him mad before, but never like this. All the guilt of the city rose in his eyes and I knew he was looking back, mentally calculating the destruction we had caused while trying to avoid another blast from that Altaria.

By the time we reached the outskirts of the city a silky calm had come over us, and it didn't seem so frightening anymore. It was not the initial battle we were worried about, it was the aftermath. Fields of weeds and dry summer grass came into view and with a slowing steadiness we left behind out speed. Salamence came to painfully slow pace and turned, his heavy shoulders battling exhaustion.

Altaria did not slow as it approached us, but picked up speed, seeing its chance at ruining us like the city. I peeked around Ruby's head and looked at the blue and white bird in horror.

Salamence rose though, higher and stronger than before, mouth gaping and muscles rippling with the start of his attack. Hyper beam, strong enough to knock out a Mamoswine in one blow. He bellowed as the Altaria came within reach, and with a horrible snarl he spewed out a sizzling attack. Light shot in all directions, though the attack stayed focused in one. There was a moment of nothing but earsplitting nothing—silence while the sound shook us; and then my shrill rasping as it came back as high pitched ringing. Dizziness made my arms loosen, but I only shrunk further into Ruby.

Altaria fell with a screech, and not a moment later Salamence was descending as well.

"Wally." Ruby was gasping, and I felt his hand tighten around one of my wrists. It was now that I realized just how critical my breathing was. I could hardly manage a gasp, but there were words that needed to be said.

"Where is your inhaler?" Ruby turned slowly, holding me against his chest while Salamence came in touch with the ground. He flopped down almost immediately, wings limp, but uncaring that we were still sitting on him.

I fought for the words to tell him while I reached around and took the silver lifesaver out of my back pocket. I was shaking when I brought it up to my mouth and closed my lips around the end of it. It was hard enough to breathe in, let alone breathe out, so I ended up coughing and choking on the first amount of air to enter my lungs.

Ruby took the thing from my shaky hands and held it steady in my mouth while I squeezed the button a second time. The air felt cleaner and softer this time. I managed to hold it in with a little effort and let it soothe the rawness before breathing easy.

"Dear Arceus you have got to stop doing that!" Ruby grasped my slender shoulders tightly and forced me to look him straight on.

I sniffed and huffed, chest heaving but no longer tight. "I—I'm sorry."

Ruby just shook his head at me, his maroon eyes glittering with real relief. His tight shoulders released tension and his hands slid down the length of my arms to my elbows.

"Do—do you?" I began, trying not to let his touch submit me to weakness. It was too easy to believe he loved me and only me at times like this. I knew I had to know… Sapphire or me? Or at the very least no one. Who did he love?  
"Do you love—

"No." he hung his head, eyes darting back to the clouds of smoke rolling off the city in the distance. We could see a wave of black video cameras and news trucks on the way. Not to mention the helicopter was nearly landing.

"You don't?" I whispered, trying to prolong a moment then couldn't be prolonged. A faint hope rose in my chest.

"No." he said again in a stronger voice. "I—I don't think we were ever meant to be more than friends."

I managed a weak smile, and in that moment I knew that I had to tell him. No matter how much of a shock it would be—I wasn't sure—I just had to get it off my chest. The emotions I had been feelings since the very first moment I met him. Actually before that—I hadn't even known his name when I knew I was absorbed with him.

Three little words. I could do it. I knew I could. I. Love. You. That was all it took. I opened my mouth to tell him.

"I don't love anyone." Ruby cut me off, his head swiveling around to face our approaching audience. Almost mechanically he pulled his arms away from me and grabbed the hat that was still in my lap. He pulled it on with a sigh and kicked his leg over the side of Salamence. I watched as he slid off my pokemon and onto the ground.

My heart plummeted.

Not anyone?


	18. Chapter 18

~Ruby~

One more interview they said! More like one more stab yourself in the eye with a fork.

"Ruby. Tell us what you think of your replacement, Brendan, or Emerald." The news reporter asked me.

I slouched over in my chair and threw my neck over the back groaning. "What do you think I think of him?"

"Ruby, please tell the audience your concerns about the show now that you aren't there." She went on anyways.

"I don't care about the show." I admitted limply, staring up at the pipe lines ceiling of the studio. "I don't care who is taking my place or why or what is going to happen now. Why doesn't anyone understand that?"

As punishment for such an act earlier, though most everyone agreed it was Brendan's fault, they were making me give them interview after interview about where I had been and why I left in the first place. It started out somewhat ok, talking about what upset me most, but then they started asking me stupid things like how I felt about said replacement. Truth was and truth be told I didn't give a shit about any of it. But they didn't believe me, my years of acting and performing lead them to believe maybe I had alternative motives.

"Was it love, Ruby?" the sharp edged red head reporter asked again, her pointy boobs unmoving even as she leaned forward as if I would whisper the answer to her and no one else.

I sighed heavily, flopped over and aggravated at the fact that the whole world was watching this right now. So much for getting away.

"No." I said curtly. "It was not love."

"What about Sapphire? People seem to think that it had something to do with her."

"Well people are wrong." I grumbled. "It had nothing to do with Sapphire or love or anything else. I just wanted to leave! For me!" You would be surprised just how many people wanted to place the blame of your own doing on someone else.

"And what about the green haired one?" she blinked, eyes flickering to where Wally was seated out of camera view. He looked quite miserable himself, and was casting very cautious glances over to his left where Sapphire was sitting. The tension between them cracked and sizzled like silent fireworks going off. Neither of them liked each other, but it was all too obvious that Wally had a higher loathing for the girl than she did him.

I looked over crossly to meet Wally's eyes, which were pale with grief. He had his arms crossed tightly over his chest. The cameras turned with my face and looked in his direction. I didn't exactly know how he felt since I had grown up with cameras around me my whole life, but a horrible red flooded his cheeks and he seemed to be begging for an escape.

"What about him?" I asked defensively, making the cameras turn back to me, however the host of this newscast got up from her seat and waltzed over to him.

"What is your name?" She asked Wally with a fake smile.

He looked at me desperately for an answer, not daring to speak. Of all the things I had told him about my life before I ran away, and the way he already felt about these kinds of people, it was no wonder he wouldn't open his mouth and answer. His eyes narrowed suspiciously at the red light of a camera.

"Why don't you go over there and join your friend huh?" The host suggested, gesturing to the seat beside me. I rolled my eyes. What they couldn't get out of me they wanted to get out of Wally. Great.

"Sure." Wally said biting his lower lip. He looked skittish under the harsh cameras, and I wondered how obviously this discomfort faded when he came over and sat in the chair next to mine. I blinked encouragingly at him.

"What is your name?" our news reporter asked again, holding out her microphone to the muted boy.

He looked a little disgruntled by the question, maybe even a bit disheartened as well. I wanted to hide my face at his hesitation. This was cruel to do to him.

"Wally." He spoke as confidently as he could, but who would take his name to be serious? It was by all means silly.

There was a faint snort of laughter coming from across the room where Sapphire sat. I looked over at her, eyes narrowing. She had an attitude of course, but never before had I ever thought she would blatantly make fun of someone.

"And how did you meet Ruby?"

Wally entwined his hands together carefully and looked down, unsure of what to say. I knew the feeling well. When you would rather leave something as personal as that alone, and yet not telling them would only cause more hype. I couldn't tell if Wally didn't want them to know I saved his life, or if he was more worried about what I would do if he did tell him. Either way his face turned red and he remained silent.

"I—I was outside of a small town when I met him." I said.

"I see. And you two… have been…?"

I fought back the obvious blush. "Traveling."

"Together?" She smiled faintly at us, the amusement in her eyes making me want to throw something. I held my tongue. Nothing good would come from insulting the host. I tried to convince myself of that, but her smirking was making it very hard.

I took a deep exaggerated breath before nodded at the camera, though hiding my face in my hand. I had a piercing headache and my patients were wearing quickly.

"Ruby, the public wants to know." She gathered herself and worked up another question as if the whole interview had just begun again. Every question started out the same way. For the last seventeen years I had been listening to people address me like this.

"Ruby." She leaned forward, dramatically for my attention. "Are you gay?"

"WHAT?"

Wally coughed from beside me, choking on his own surprise and clutching at his chest with one hand. I looked over wide eyed at his sudden outburst, and watched as he yanked his hand up to his face and jumped from the seat. A single camera turned in his direction, but I was close enough to it to yank it back. The public could want to know whatever the hell they wanted to know, but they weren't about to humiliate Wally because of his chronic nose bleeds.

"No!" I shook my head daringly at the cameras. I couldn't stand such a question. That was far more than the announcers should be able to ask.

"Alright. Alright." She cooed and turned to the main camera that stayed on her the whole time. "We're about to take a short break." She recited her stupid name and stupid interview line before the camera shut off.

I got up immediately and stormed across the studio, ignoring Sapphire while she was still grinning evilly. No doubt I had pisser her off big time, and right after we were making up… Part of me wished I could go back in time and react differently to Brendan catching us, but another part of me wished that I just hadn't kissed Sapphire in the first place. Maybe if she hadn't tried to inhale my face things would have worked out better.

The main entrance to this particular part of the studio was large and heavy, leading out into a hallway with an immaculate public bathroom. I knew Wally would be in there dripping blood all over the janitor's hard work, so I wasted no time pushing open the door.

"Wally?"

He was perched over one of the many marble sinks, pinching the bridge of his small nose and groaning. A constant drip of red was falling from his face into the draining bowl below him. I sighed.

"Great timing."

He looked up at me with humorless eyes, but didn't say anything. We both knew that he had no control of the bipolar faucet that was his nose.

"Oh come on." I leaned against the sink next to him and gripped his shoulder firmly. "It's not that bad."

"Easy for you to say."

"Since when do you care about what people think of you anyways?" I asked somewhat gently. I surprised myself actually, by being so eager to make him feel better. My hand mechanically went to the locks of his hair that were sticking to his sweaty forehead. I brushed them back with ease.

"I don't." he shook his head. "I just hate this whole thing. I don't want to be here at all."

"Now you know how I feel." I rolled my eyes.

He sniffed awkwardly, glancing back up at me and twisting his face up in discomfort. "Yeah…" He agreed softly while my hand brushed back the hair around his ear. It stuck out in an unruly fashion, and for the first time I seemed to notice that it was much softer than my own hair—or anyone else's for that matter. Even Sapphire's hair wasn't that feathery. I let my hand fall on the counter next to me a moment later, blushing.

"Do—do you mind if I just go back to the hotel?" Wally asked after long contemplating himself. "I don't think I can handle much more of this."

"Sure." I shrugged. "But our time there is up come six this evening." I had only gotten a one day stay, knowing that at some point I would have to go home and face my mother. I didn't really want to stay at home again, but switching out some clothes and sleeping in my own bed would be nice for at least one night.

"Where are we going to stay?" he asked cautiously, as if he could read my mind.

I smiled sheepishly. "Want to meet my mother?"

"No." The word was choked by laughter.

"Thanks for the support." I rolled my eyes and sighed. "I have to go home at some point."

"I know." Wally snorted out the remaining blood and stood up straighter, rubbing water over his mouth and making a disturbed face. He reached for a paper towel in front of him and spoke into it while he dried off. "I'll go back to the room and get our stuff. Then I will come back here and meet you. You will be done by six right?"

I nodded.

"Ruby!" a voice from outside the bathroom door called, dragging our attention away from each other. Wally seemed to freeze for a moment. It was Sapphire calling. "Get out here!"

"Or I could just hide in the stall…" I grumbled to myself, dreading going back out to that horrible interview. They would continue to ask me ghastly questions about my sexuality and Arceus knows what else.

Wally smiled lightly at me, and if I didn't know any better I would have thought there was sadness in his eyes. Normally I would have dismissed it as something I couldn't understand, but with the topic of sexuality on my mind I couldn't help but stop and wonder.

Me and Wally…

"Good luck." He murmured to me, turning to leave the room before I would. Sapphire would think it was me coming out and she would probably make a fool out of herself. I snickered silently, but reached forward anyways to grab Wally by the wrist and whirl him around.

Without a word I wrapped myself around him, hugged tightly, and then spun him back the opposite direction at the sinks. He huffed in surprise and had to catch and steady himself in the time being. I turned and left then, opening the door to meet Sapphire before he could.

"What's that stupid grin for?" She asked curtly. Ever since this morning—even after Brendan chased me out of the city—she was walking on a tightrope with me. I couldn't tell if she was mad at me personally, or just happy that I was back at all. Not to mention I had done her a favor in placing the blame on Brendan. He wouldn't be performing any time soon, so if she hated the guy as much as she said, she wouldn't have to deal with him.

I shook my head at her and sighed. "It's nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing." She raised her eyebrow at me as we walked back towards the studio.

I glanced down at her, my heart fluttering in a strange way, my fingers twitching for the way Wally's hair felt under them. I had decided earlier today that I was not in love with my childhood best friend like I thought I was, and I knew she was not the person to be talking to about my sudden interest in someone like Wally. So I just rolled my eyes and shook my head, trying not to blush.

"Well, what is it?" She shoved me slightly.

I forced a laugh. "You wouldn't understand."


	19. Chapter 19

~Wally~

I sat staring out the three story window of Ruby's mother's ridiculous penthouse, wrapped in the emptiness of wearing a borrowed shirt, but knowing I was still alone.  
I couldn't say I was expecting anything even remotely homely in this kind of town, but I certainly wasn't expecting their house to be uncomfortable. It was tall and narrow with little space between buildings. If I was on the second floor I would probably be able to reach out and touch the grubby wall of the building next door. I dreaded the feeling of claustrophobia like I did my asthma, so in a sense I was mentally stuck on the third floor where I could see the sky and thick grey clouds that covered it.

I took sanctuary in the blanket of cover, but also a strange discomfort. It was unfamiliar sky, glaring dark and heavy. The clouds seemed to trap in the smog like the lid of a container, and I knew that if it didn't rain soon, the whole town would know how I felt on a regular basis.

But not only this, for the first time since I left home I felt not only the rudimentary anger for the people I had seen and the places I was going, but the longing pang of homesickness. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, and I couldn't find it in me to go down to the second floor where Ruby had his room. No matter how badly I wanted to… it just wasn't rational.

After long exhausting hours of hearing horrible things about Ruby not loving anyone and then having witnessed the wrath of his mother as she gave him the tongue lashing of the century… I felt miserable. He had walked away from that lecture teary eyed and clutching his hat in a way of desperation I had never seen before. It was as if the lifeless sack suddenly meant so much more to him around his mother. I didn't know why, but I knew I wanted to make him feel better.

The only problem with that is in doing so I would only make myself feel even more horrible. I wasn't sure how much longer I could take this kind of rejection, and more importantly how much longer I could take this city. Was it even worth it being here? Even with Ruby…? I turned and curled my inhaler in hand, wondering if it would help me at all to take another gasp from it. Probably not.

The silence was getting to me on this painfully long night, while I awaited the rain like the hot summer air. Lightening flickered in the distance timelessly, each branch sparking another until the sky danced with a sever static. None of it seemed to touch the ground yet, so thunder was unlikely and I wouldn't fill the emptiness anytime soon. I stared in at what might possibly be the first storm of the summer, and wondered if it had reached Verdanturf yet.

Surely the power would go out there, and all the neighbors would be gathered in the pokemon center telling each other stories about when they were younger and the adventures they had in storms. It would be like some old black and white movie to these city folk, but all the more real for someone like me. I wished I was there, listening to the sound of friendship and quiet laughter rather than here with nothing. The loneliness pierced me like a thorn.

Steadily I got up from the bench by the window and made my way over to a built in desk at the far side of the room. There was a small, blue lighted radio there, with a remote no bigger than the palm of my hand sitting there. I read the buttons when the lightning flashed and clicked it on with my hand perched over the volume. It wasn't actually loud when it started, and I was surprise to find it wasn't even the radio, but a CD playing from deep within. I stopped and listened, tweaking the volume so that I could understand the soft words.

Ruby's mother was on the bottom floor so I didn't worry about her waking up, but I couldn't lie to myself about Ruby. I wanted him to wake up and come to me, though the thought alone made my stomach curl. That was mean of me, he needed his sleep. With a flinch I turned it slightly lower and made my way back to the bench seat by the window. It would have been all too easy to go lie on the huge comfortable couch and listen to the melody.

I retreated back to the solace that was my homesickness, thinking about all the things I could be doing in Verdanturf right now opposed to this. The comfortable air, the lackluster but large ranch houses with more property than you could see; I missed it all and more. With a sigh my head thumped against the glass and my eyes closed. I thought about the very first time I saw Ruby, and the way it felt when I woke up in the hospital to know he was gone. His face was the only thing in my mind when a sudden whirl of wind outside blew in the long awaited rain. I could feel the tiny vibrations as each drop hit the glass on the other side of my cheek. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled, smashing the music in its tracks and ruining the collaboration of sounds. I blinked, trying to find the beat again.

"Wally?"

I didn't jump in surprise like you might have thought I would, but rather melted a little on the inside. Ruby's voice was a song inside itself, and it completely unraveled me in a way I couldn't comprehend. Arceus I loved him. I loved him so much.

Too bad he didn't love anyone…

"What are you doing?" He asked gently, crossing the room and coming to the bench seat beside me. I pulled my legs up to my chest tightly and let him sit against the other side.

I set my chin on my knees. "I can't sleep."

"Me neither…" He murmured, his attention drawn back to the music. The CD was a mix of something, judging by the three different voices I had heard since it started, but everything sounded somewhat the same. It was simple, quiet, calm and packed full of emotion. It was the kind of music that knew how to tug on your heart, but at the same time could cheer you up in an instant. Ruby smiled sadly at it.

"I used to listen to this CD all the time."

I pulled the grabbed the small remote from beside me and handed it to him. "I've never heard any of these songs."

"They aren't that popular." He shrugged as it mellowed out and came to an end. A mere second was placed between the next chord that was the start of something new. I listened attentively as his eyes widened and his mouth opened to mouth the first line. Nostalgia at its best.

"I learned to dance to this song." He admitted sheepishly.

"You know how to dance?" I asked in disbelief, though it was a stupid question. Of course he knew how to dance, he was a performer.

"You don't?" he looked to have the same disbelief on his face that I did mine. Prime example of the two different worlds we came from. I'm sure if I asked him if he knew how to plant a tree he would say no.

"No." I shook my head.

Ruby looked away for a moment as the music flooded us. He closed his eyes, picking up the remote and aiming it precisely at the blue light. With a click it paused. "Want to learn?"

I shivered in surprise as he pushed up off the bench and stood, holding a hand out to me and turned the remote back at the radio to start the song over from the beginning. "Come on."

"Oh… ok." I blushed, shaking slightly as my hand slithered into the shape of his. I got up carefully, wondering if this was even possible for someone like me.

"It really isn't hard." He whispered as I approached him. His fingers knotted with mine and he clicked the remote to start the song. That sweet melody began. "It's one step at a time… Don't move back at all, and don't move forward unless I do. I'll lead."

_I miss the sound of your voice._

Those words sent butterfree through my insides. I had never exactly enjoyed the company of music before, but its warmth amazed me.

_And I miss the rush of your skin._

Ruby moved then, taking our hands awkwardly and spreading them apart. Mine remained stiff until he pulled it up again and let it lay on his shoulder. His skin was hot under my fingers, so flushed I thought maybe it was my imagination. His other hand wrapped around my opposite elbow.

_And I miss the still of the silence…_

_"As you breathe out… I breathe in…"_ Ruby sang along with the lyrics of such a song, taking a lopping step to the side and making my heart race. "Right foot." He whispered. I stepped with him, hesitantly.

_If I could walk on water, If I could tell you what's next  
Make you believe, make you forget._

_"So come on get higher, loosen my lips. Faith and desire at the swing of your hips. Just pull me down hard and drowned me in love."_ Ruby sang, his voice as angelica as the first time I had heard him. I shuddered as his hands snaked its way down my sides and gripped around my hips. He moved slightly faster, pulling me around in a swooping motion until my head was on fire with embarrassment.

Though I did not seem to miss a beat, I was disobeying what he told me. He said not to move forward unless he did, but I was indeed pushing forward, pulling both arms up and wrapping them around his neck so that our chests were pressed up against one another's. I fought a smile at the helplessness of it all. There was no way I could leave him now. Not ever.

_So come on, get higher, loosen my lips  
Faith and desire in the swing of your hips  
Just to throw me down hard  
And drown me in love_

By the second verse I was pressing my face into his neck and letting our feet tangle together in a mess. He fought to keep the dance going, while I fought just to have him hold me. My fingers tightened in his hair as thunder roared outside. Peace only lasted as far as the window, I knew that, and I knew that this would all have to come to a dreaded end at some point. But I couldn't stop. The pain—whenever it was meant to happen—was worth this moment.

_"I miss the pull of your heart  
I can taste the sparks on your tongue  
I see angels and devils  
And God  
when you come… on  
Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on – HOLD…"_

I froze in surprise as Ruby wrapped himself around me as tightly as he could; face trailing up my jaw and down my neck again. The song paused, the music flitted and caressed us, my heart pounded harder in my chest than ever before, and I shook with utter delight and fear and passion. My breath came in a whir, shakily, not quite a gasp but bordering a whimper.

_Singing shalala la  
Singing shalala lala_

Ruby whispered so softly in my ear I thought it was a dream. And then lovingly, more perfectly than before he kissed the side of my cheek, moving upwards until his lips found the small crease of my temple. He leaned into me as I tugged on his hair, trying to surpass the shortness of breath.

"Relax." He rubbed my back with his strong hands, while his eyelashes tickled my jaw. "Breathe."

I forced a breath, but it was nothing compared to what I needed. Not even my inhaler would have filled that need in this particular situation. I swallowed the dryness in my throat and pulled my face up to look him in the eyes. The reflection of lightning in them aroused me.

"Is your nose bleeding?" He smiled lightly at me.

I sniffed and shook my head. For once… no it wasn't.

"Good." He tilted his face inward, pushing on my upper lip and closing his eyes. Where had this Ruby come from? Certainly this wasn't the same person that told me he didn't love anyone this morning. Certainly I was dreaming…

_So come on, get higher, loosen my lips_

His mouth danced against mine, pulling and pushing, giving and taking until I was absolutely stunned out my mind. Goosebumps raced up my spine, while all the blood raced to the pit of my stomach and lower.

_Faith and desire in the swing of your hips_

He squeezed my sides firmly, rubbing his thumbs over the little bit of muscle I had around my waist.

_Just throw me down hard_

My mind flickered and my lungs bucked with panic. The blackness behind my eyelids spun in the most pleasant way possible. I felt nothing but air for a long moment, and then a wonderfully terrifying gasping in my chest as it disappeared.

_And drown me…_

_Drown me in love…_


End file.
